Yet another college AU
by countbackwardsfrominfinity
Summary: Hiccup and Astrid attend the same uni. Astrid on a sporting scholarship, Hiccup is well, Hiccup. Quite a bit of sporty stuff in here, for plot of course. Australian education system, American terms. I'm hoping it makes sense. Legal stuff: I own nothing except the plot. All character rights go to Dreamworks. Rated M for sex in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Henry Haddock yawned and let his eyes, and mind, wander as he sat at the back of his engineering lecture, bored out of his mind, as his lecturer droned on. Henry, affectionately known as _Hiccup_, made no effort at attempting to disguise his lack of interest in whatever it was that was being said. Instead Hiccup's mind played out scenarios involving a myriad of things that he would rather be doing instead of sitting in that lecture room listening to the nitty-gritty of engineering and how it was relevant to the world. Most of his thoughts involved tinkering with the many small inventions that crowded his bedroom or going through the theory of running technique and efficiency. Hiccup was an academic, there was no doubt about it, his high-school finals and GPA thus far were testimony to that. But it wasn't enough. Hiccup was still bored with what his life had become, wake up, eat, uni for the day, then home to tinkering and Toothless. A small smile appeared on Hiccups face as he thought of his animal friend, Toothless the three-legged dog. Quickly snapping his attention back to his lecturer to check he wasn't missing anything important, as unlikely as that was, Hiccup shifted in his seat, stretching out a bit and cracking his back, before sinking back down into his vigil of inattentiveness and allowing his thoughts to shift back to Toothless. Hiccup fondly remembered the day he had "adopted" Toothless.

Running in the rain, zoning out everything but his breathing and his stride, trying to perfect it, to visualise the greatest runners of his time running alongside him, attempting to match his form with theirs. Nothing mattered in that moment, college took a back seat, his inventions could wait until he finished his run, it was just him. The physical challenge of running was so different to the intellectual challenges Hiccup faced during his education, for Hiccup, academic problems came smoothly, rarely challenging him, he could see answers long before others, although his different methods for problem solving had caused a few issues between him and his teachers. With running it was different. Hiccup understood the theory behind running; the person who ran with the best, smoothest form, expended the least amount of energy for the same speed, but physically manipulating his body into the high-knee, loping stride of the people he had seen run at the Olympics proved difficult. His knees never came high enough, or his foot wasn't angled right at the point of impact, or it landed too far in front of his body, or his trailing leg was too far out the back. As such, Hiccup spared no thought for a pile of garbage bags and a bunch of cardboard someone had thrown out as he ran past them, at least until one of the garbage bags let out a whine. Stopping in surprise, Hiccup looked at the bags, attempting to coordinate his thoughts and what he had heard. Stepping closer he strained his ears, trying to hear another sound and confirm that he wasn't hearing things. Sure enough, there came another low, pitiful whine, a sound of pain and grief. Against his better judgement, Hiccup stepped closer again, searching with his eyes this time, trying to locate the source of the noise. As he approached, the whine changed to a growl, and this time the boy noticed that one of the 'bags' looked different to the others. Stopping a safe distance away, Hiccup looked closer, and as he looked, a mangy head and a pair of green eyes appeared, as his eyes adjusted to this phenomenon, Hiccup began to notice other details. There was a body there, there was the tail, one, two, three, four legs, although Hiccup could now see that one of the rear legs was bent at an obscene angle. Pity and slight disgust built up in Hiccup, and he made his decision. Carefully, he made his way closer to the animal, which he now recognised as a dog, although the rain and the dogs poorly kept coat had made that particular recognition difficult. Lowering himself onto one knee, and holding his hand out as a sign to the dog the he meant no harm, Hiccup edged closer to the injured animal, which raised its hackles as best it could and let out another warning growl.  
>"Easy buddy, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help." Hiccup continued murmuring words that he hoped would comfort the dog, and he stopped close enough to let the animal sniff, and eventually lick his hand as it returned to whining, deciding that the boy posed no threat. Hiccup had no experience with animal care, but even he could tell the dog needed help, its back leg was clearly broken, and if the condition of its coat was any indicator, it hadn't lived in a caring environment for a long time, if at all. Sitting next to the dog and stroking its head in an attempt to keep it calm, Hiccup pondered over what to do next. He was quite a ways from home, he couldn't remember how long he'd been running, but he did have his mobile in his pocket, kept dry in a zip lock sandwich bag. Hiccups attention reverted back to the dog as it let out another whine and shivered. That made his decision for him. Pulling his phone out, the boy pressed the buttons through the plastic and dialled home, nervously waiting for the line to connect. As the phone clicked and someone answered, Hiccups last thought was "Dad is going to kill me."<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

"What the bloody hell were you thinking Hiccup?" Hiccup scratched his ear awkwardly as his father sat across from him, now in the warmth and comfort of his living room, firing questions at him left right and centre.

"Well I was running, and then I noticed the dog, and his leg, and I didn't know what to do, but he needed help. So I called you."

Hiccups father, Stoick, groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes in exasperation. Meanwhile Hiccups mother, Valka, stood in the doorway, leaning easily on the frame, a glint of amusement in her eyes. Looking at the trio, it was easy to see the family resemblance. Stoick was a giant of a man, easily 6'5'', and very, _very _broad across the shoulders, having been a former shot-putter in college. This, coupled with his fiery red hair and beard, left him looking very much like the Vikings of old. Valka on the other hand, was tall, although nowhere near as tall as Stoick, and slimly built, but she held herself with a sense of purpose and confidence. While Stoick had been a shot-putter, and eventually, through sheer strength of will and stubbornness, eventually opened his own boatyard, Valka had been the straight-A student, passing college with flying colours and a degree in Zoology, and now under employment with the state Zoo. Hiccup seemed to have inherited the height gene, as well as his mothers brains, although his father always said that Hiccups creative streak came from him, seeing as Stoick was always thinking of new ways to improve the boats that the well-off businessman of the town seemed to love.

"In any case, your uh, friend, is under sedation now." Valka put in, as Hiccup looked at her from his seat, although he sensed there was something his mother was not telling him.

"And his leg?" Hiccup asked cautiously.

Valka's face fell slightly, and her shoulders dropped, before she looked at Hiccup and replied, "Ah, yes. Well as you probably figured out by now, it was broken. Horribly so. And there's nothing I can do about it, his leg is useless. It's going to have to be amputated." The same feeling of disgust Hiccup had felt the first time he saw the dogs leg returned now, and he shuddered.

"But he is going to live." At that final note, Hiccup looked away and breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't know he'd been holding in.

"Anyway, he can't stay here." Stoick rejoined the conversation and Hiccup's eyes shot up again as he looked at his father. "Once he's healed up, he'll have to be taken to the animal shelter."

"But dad you can't send him there. You know what they're like. They try their best, I know, but if no animal gets adopted within three months they-" Hiccup didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew what happened. That was the dark side of animal care, and part of the reason why Valka had chosen to work at the Zoo rather than the shelter. Animals had a probationary period of three months before they were…removed to make way for the continual influx of lost and injured animals.

"If you send him there, you _know _no-one is going to adopt him. No-one's going to give a three-legged dog a chance."

"But he can't _stay here._" Stoick repeated. Exasperated, Hiccup looked at his mother, who said nothing to her son, but did look at Stoick with a hint of annoyance.

"Well Stoick, you did say when he healed up, and that'll take a few weeks. We can make a decision then."

"Argh. Fine. You're the animal expert. But don't expect much to change in that time." Stoick groaned as he slumped back in his chair and Hiccup looked back at his mother with delight and thanks, Valka winked at him before turning back to go and check on the dog once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Contrary to what Stoick had said, the dog had warmed to the family, and eventually, after a good bath and a haircut, had turned out to be a very handsome, all-black Labrador Retriever. After lots of nagging from Hiccup, and a few words of wisdom from Valka, Stoick had buckled and consented to the dog staying.

"But he's your responsibility." Stoick had warned, not that Hiccup was really listening, too busy giving the dog a belly rub. Valka's expertise and careful hands had helped in the animals recovery, but it was Hiccup that the dog had really warmed to. Accompanying the boy wherever he went in the house, sleeping in his room where he had broken one of Hiccups inventions, but it was a small thing and easily fixed. One night they had been having dinner (the dog at his now permanent position beside Hiccups seat), and Hiccup had "dropped" a piece of roast chicken on the floor, which quickly disappeared.

"Hiccup, stop feeding him." Valka scolded her son, not that there was much annoyance behind her words.

"Ah, he'll be right. Gotta feed him up, get some meat back on his bones after his little ordeal." Stoick had warmed to the dog over time too, and was now rather fond of him, not that Hiccup would ever hear it from his mouth. Hiccup rubbed the dogs head, and his mouth promptly fell open, tongue lolling out and teeth showing.

"Come to think of it, he hasn't got a name yet." Hiccup wondered aloud.

"What, you haven't named him yet?" Stoick asked.

"Well, no. I can't think of anything really. I mean, I thought about the usual names, Blacky, Shadow of Darkness, Midnight Fury." Hiccup replied jokingly.

"Hmm. Got a good set of teeth on him I see." Stoick noted.

"How about Toothless?" Valka calmly suggested, her eyes fixed on the potato she was now slicing.  
>"Mom. He's got teeth. Really sharp teeth. Don't you think Toothless is a bit of an oxymoron?" Hiccup asked slowly, not sure if his mother was being serious or not.<p>

"And that's exactly why it's a good name." Valka replied evenly. Hiccup looked back down at his dog, thinking over the name.

"I like it." Stoick declared, banging his fist on the table.

"Honey, how many times have I asked you not to do that. You broke my good set of china plates last time you did that."

Stoicks reply about how he did buy her another set was lost on Hiccup as he spoke to the dog.

"Well, what do you think bud? Can you deal with being known as Toothless from now on?" He asked, as if expecting a spoken answer. All he got was a woof and a tail wag, but he assumed that meant yes.  
>"All right then, Toothless it is."<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

"-and that's about it for this week. Any questions?" The sound of the lecturer bringing class to an end brought Hiccup back to reality. Grabbing his bag and stretching as he stood up, he followed the other students and walked out the door and began making his way back to his car on the other side of the campus. Mind wandering again as he walked, Hiccup failed to notice the girl in his path until he walked right into her.

"Dammit. What the he-" The girl said, as Hiccups apology died on his lips as he recognised exactly who he had walked into.

"Astrid, hi. Hi Astrid, hi, hi Astrid. Sorry." As luck would have it, Astrid Hofferson, Hiccups former classmate in high school had turned around and Hiccup found himself face to face with his old crush. Blonde hair in its ever present braid, strikingly blue eyes that never failed to remind him of the sky on a cloudless day, and a figure that had been the envy of all the other girls in class. His sudden nervousness compounded as she raised an eyebrow and racked her brains as she tried to identify who it was that had walked into her.

"Oh! I know you, Hiccup right?" Astrid spoke.

"Uh, yeah. Henry, actually, but whatever." Hiccup muttered, then added "Might as well be Hiccup though, since I've never really been known as anything else."

"Wow, it's been ages. I remember now, we had a couple of classes in high school together right?"

"Yeah, yeah we did. Maths and physics I think." Hiccups nervousness abated a little as he began to speak, thankful that his voice hadn't broken like it used to whenever he talked to Astrid. (truth be told Hiccup remembered precisely which classes he had with Astrid, seeing as she was sort of the only reason he attended class, but he kept that little bit of information to himself)

"It's great to see you again, are you studying here now?" Astrid asked, and Hiccup had to think a little before he answered, having suffered a slight mental blank at Astrid's sudden reappearance in his life.

"Yeah, I am. Second year Engineering."

"That's great! I'm here too, I transferred in at the start of the year, although I'm studying human movement and sports science."

"That makes sense, I remember you ran track in high school. Do you still run?" Actually, part of the reason Hiccup had started running, besides an escape, was because he'd seen Astrid running at the local club nights and thought that she looked beautiful when she ran. In the back of his mind there was some insane hope that Astrid might notice him if he became as good as she was, but that was a faint hope and he found he had enjoyed running more as a method of escape.

"Of course, I went to state championships and I might be getting a scholarship at the local academy of sport."

"Cool." Hiccup faltered as he tried to think of something to continue the conversation, but his mental blank hadn't dissipated yet. "I uh, I need to get home soon, but it was great to see you. Really great." Hiccup was reluctant to cut the conversation short, but he hadn't fed Toothless that morning, and his friend always got grumpy when he wasn't fed. Last time Hiccup forgot, Toothless had chewed the chair in his room to pieces.

"Oh, sure. I suppose I should be heading off to training too. I'll see you around!" Astrid gave him a wave and a smile as she walked away, Hiccup returned the wave, but couldn't seem to work his facial muscles into anything resembling a smile, so he settled for nodding instead. As he resumed his walk to his car, Hiccup shook his head and blew air out through his nose, thinking to himself "Not a bad way to end the day I suppose."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey bud." Hiccup was welcomed by a bark and a flash of fur as he unlocked the door to his house and Toothless promptly made himself known. Kicking off his shoes and dumping his bag at the foot of his bed, Hiccup bent down and gave Toothless a scratch behind the ears, before straightening up and heading to the kitchen to get his friend something to eat. Toothless followed close behind, the clicking of his claws on the floor creating an uneven rhythm on the floorboards, a reminder of his missing leg, meanwhile Hiccup opened the fridge and found some leftover sausages from a couple of nights ago and held a couple out to the dog, who happily accepted the offerings. Heading back to his room, Hiccup dropped into his chair and idly picked up a couple of his mini-inventions, aimlessly tinkering with them as he span in his seat.

"Guess who I ran into today bud? I mean, I literally ran into her." Hiccup spoke to Toothless, despite looking at the ceiling as he span, fingers playing with the invention in his hands. The dog offered little response besides the sound of chewing and Hiccup continued.

"Astrid's back. Goes to the same uni as me." More chewing. "Small world huh bud? Man, I thought I'd gotten over my crush on her, but nope. She's still beautiful. And still running." At the mention of Astrid, Toothless paused in his eating, taking the time to cock his head and raise an ear, having listened to Hiccup praise Astrid and her qualities in any and every way possible for the past several years. However as Hiccup made no further comment, Toothless resumed his meal. Hiccup meanwhile, was still lost in his own thoughts about Astrid, not noticing his mobile until the third ring. Checking the caller ID, Hiccup swiped his phone and put it to his ear.

"Hey Fish."

"Hi Hiccup. How was your day?" Fred Ingerman, affectionately known as "Fishlegs" by Hiccup, answered on the other end of the line. Stockily built but very bright, Hiccup and Fishlegs had gravitated towards each other throughout highschool and become friends. The other members of the class, or at least the most prominent ones, were Hiccups cousin, Scott, and the twins, Rachael and Thomas. Scott was the jock of the class, the football player who had evidently taken one too many hits to the head during a game, while Rachael and Thomas were more commonly known as Ruff and Tuff due to their rather violent, yet strangely affectionate relationship with each other.

"Meh, not bad I suppose. Had an engineering lecture, nothing I didn't already know. Besides that, I stayed home in the morning and literally ran into Astrid after the lecture. You remember Astrid?"

"You mean the Astrid you were constantly talking about during high school?" Fish teased, knowing full well who Hiccup was referring to.

"Yes Fish, that Astrid." Hiccup rolled his eyes, despite the small smile that appeared on his face, appreciating the pointless banter that went on between himself and his friend.

"Oohh. Did you speak to her? At least tell me that your voice didn't crack."

"Hey, I'll have you know I held a full conversation with her and my voice did not crack once." Hiccup answered, feigning hurt.

"Sure sure, whatever you say Hiccup."

"I'm serious. Anyway, how was _your _day? Sorry I didn't meet up with you before the lecture. I had to wash Toothless and groom him. Didn't get to feed him though, that had to wait until just now." Fish also attended the same university as Hiccup, however due to the fact that Fish was studying teaching, they had lectures at different times and instead had to hang out either before or after lectures, which was difficult, or on the weekends.

"It's fine. I probably would have stayed home too if I had the chance." Fish replied, and Hiccup could almost picture the boys big shoulders shrugging as he sat in front of his textbooks, laptop open and taking notes. "Got any plans for the weekend?"

"Besides stay at home with Toothless? No." Hearing his name, the aforementioned dog let out a bark, having finished his sausages and now lying curled up near the door to Hiccups room.

"Ha, hi Toothless. Well, _I _have a very exciting weekend of studying ahead of me. I have a test next week, and an assignment that I should probably start." Fishlegs said.

"Only you could enjoy studying and note taking Fish." Hiccup laughed and shook his head.

"Everybody has their little quirks Hiccup. Anyway, I should get back to these notes. I just wanted to check in with you. Later."

"Bye Fishlegs." Tapping the screen, Hiccup ended the call and set his mobile back down, swivelling in his chair to look at his dog, lying happily on the floor.  
>"How does that sound bud? A whole weekend of just us. Again. Maybe we'll go to the oval and I'll let you run around a bit. I might even get to do some running of my own if you manage to not get between my feet again." Toothless let out a breath, as if saying "Please. It's not my fault you run all over the place" not moving from his spot on the floor, and Hiccup smiled and resumed spinning in his chair.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Hiccup sat in his chair again, a few weeks after his meeting with Astrid, watching Toothless chew on a leftover bone. There was the beginnings of an essay on the relevance of engineering in the modern world open on his laptop, but it sat forgotten as Hiccup let his mind wander again. He had seen Astrid around campus a couple of times, but they had never had the time for a proper conversation, one of them was always late for a lecture or in need of some extra study. In the meantime, he and Fish had spent a couple of afternoons at each other's houses, tinkering with random inventions or generally just passing time.

"Ah, I dunno bud." Hiccup began, another pastime of his, talking to Toothless as if he expected his friend to suddenly develop the ability to talk and answer him.  
>"I'm just not feeling this course. Like, the stuff is…interesting I suppose, and it has its relevance, but it's not <em>me.<em> I thought I wanted to do Engineering, since I'm always fiddling with things, but it's just not holding my attention. I don't know what I want to do. This essay even, I could spit out 3000 words on the relevance of engineering no problems, but I don't care about it." Leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling, Hiccup continued  
>"I have no problem changing career paths, but what would I do? There isn't anything that interests me, I don't want to modify boats like dad, maybe I could do something with animals like mom, but she's already the zoologist in the family….Eughh, I just don't know." As he finished, Hiccup looked back down at Toothless, still devoted to his bone, and smiled slightly.<br>"Must be a hard life being a dog. Eating, sleeping, being loved all day." Toothless took his attention away from the bone long enough to cock his head at Hiccup, before returning to his attempts at demolishing what was left. Meanwhile Hiccup turned away again and looked out his window, sighing as he did.  
>"Ah stuff it. I'm going for a run. Want to come bud?" At the mention of run, Toothless abandoned his bone and got to his feet, wagging his tail excitedly. Hiccup stood up too and leant over to pull his shoes out from under his bed.<p>

* * *

><p>Hiccups run took place down at a local highschool football field, and he used the time it took to get there to warm up his legs, Toothless trotting along beside him, occasionally veering off to go and investigate a peculiar smell or to...mark a tree, but never straying far from Hiccup. Once they arrived at the oval, Toothless knew that Hiccup didn't like anything distracting him, so he entertained himself by chasing birds or rolling around in the grass, meanwhile Hiccup went over his technique in his mind and again tried to visualise his own legs forming a smooth, loping gait. Taking a breath, he set off, running from beneath one goal post to the other, trying to picture his form as if he was watching himself run from the side. It was difficult, trying to picture himself and trying to compare it to the athletes he had seen on TV.<br>"Maybe I should try and get some sort of video recording or something to film myself." Hiccup thought as he reached the other end of the field and put his hands on his head, trying to slow his heart rate.  
>"It'd certainly make things easier...20 seconds rest, and I go again...but what would I use? I suppose I could always just buy a standard camera tripod, but that's no fun...shit, 6 seconds...3, 2, 1." and he was off again, breathing hard and headed back to his start point. And this process continued, run from end to end, catch his breath, turn over a few things in his mind, set off again. Hiccup became lost in his thoughts, focusing on his form, trying again and again to visualise himself, and then trying to figure out a way to improve.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Astrid strolled along the footpath on her way to the bus stop, earphones in, listening to music and generally not paying attention to anything in particular. She enjoyed these walks to and from the bus stop which was her method of transport from home to college, it was a pleasant change from the rigor and demands of Gobber's sessions and it allowed her to just relax and not care about anything. As she passed the football field which sat along her path to the bus stop, she looked around casually, not expecting to see much, but she did notice that there was someone running on the field.

"Not bad, knees could come higher, and they could use their arms more." Astrid unconsciously analysed the persons running technique, something she'd become very familiar with over her years of track. She smiled slightly as she remembered the countless hours she had spent perfecting her own technique, something her former coach had insisted she did before she progressed to anything more advanced. At the time she had considered it pointless, what was so complicated about running? Just put one foot in front of the other as fast as you can and try to beat the other person. But over time she had come to understand the theory and dedication required to run fast, truly fast. She still didn't care much for the theory now, but she did understand why her coach had been so firm in his desire for her to perfect her technique. As she continued to watch, the person who was running stopped under the goal posts furthest from her and doubled over, heaving in air and Astrid almost laughed, recalling herself in that particular position only about two hours ago. It was late spring, and although the mornings where still rather pleasant, it was becoming warmer in the evenings, and apparently this person had decided that the warming weather, coupled with running, was becoming a bit too hot, and they were taking off their shirt. Astrid couldn't see much, considering the distance between herself and the mystery runner, but it seemed that on top of a good track session earlier, lady luck had decided to grace her with some eye-candy too, because the person was now on the return trip, running towards the posts which were closer to her. Again, she began to analyse the persons form, the different angle which she was able to see from now only confirmed to her that their knees could come higher, and she could see now that there was a lot of instability in their upper body. Speaking of upper body's, whoever this person was, they obviously took care of themselves. Astrid had seen a lot of shirtless boys before, but most of the time they had been the big, bulky torsos of the football players and weightlifters that frequented her old gym and the local academy. Personally she didn't care much for big biceps and the bigger egos that often accompanied them, and few of them managed to keep their guts under control, not surprising given the frequent after parties they attended. They were stereotypical guys, thought they were bigshots because they had made it into the academy or played football, and only cared about their arms and how much they could bench. This person however was slim, and had the beginnings of some abdominals, their arms were long, but not overly thin like the arms she saw on the distance runners at the academy  
>"Maybe if their core strength was better they'd get some abs." Astrid thought to herself. She might have been a proud athlete, and give little thought to relationships, given the amount of time she spent training, but she could still appreciate a good body when she saw one. As the mystery runner got closer, Astrids eyes shifted from their stomach, up their chest, and took in the soft face, the green eyes...the auburn hair...<br>"Holy shit. Hiccup?!" the words left Astrids mouth before she could stop them, and a little louder than she would have liked. At the mention of his name, and as if to confirm Astrids suspicions, Hiccup shifted his gaze from the goalposts and looked at her. Unfortunately for Hiccup, he was still running quite fast.

"Astrid? What are y-" And with typical Hiccup flair, his feet tangled with each other and he fell flat on his face.


	8. Chapter 8

Hiccup could feel his face burning as he lay on the ground, wishing he was anywhere but there in that moment, as Astrid doubled over laughing.

"I suppose it's not too bad of a price to pay if she's laughing. She sounds amazing when she laughs." Hiccup thought to himself, although it did little to ease his embarrassment, in fact it only increased it when he realised how creepy he sounded to himself. Groaning slightly, Hiccup gently pushed himself off the ground and stood up to face Astrid, who was still giggling to herself.  
>"And to what do I owe the pleasure?" Hiccup asked, wiping dirt of his face and out of his eyes. Taking a moment to compose herself, Astrid wiped her eyes and replied<p>

"Oh I was on my way to the bus stop, and I just happened to be passing by."

"And uh, how long have you been standing there?"

Astrid looked away awkwardly, remembering how she had been checking Hiccup out, before she realised it was Hiccup of course.

"Um, long enough. Your knees could come higher when you run, and you've got too much movement in your torso." She said hurriedly, attempting to cover her embarrassment. Hiccup however, was too busy realising that he was still shirtless and blushed before turning away to whistle at Toothless, who had taken up residence beside one of the goal posts.

"Toothless, here boy. And can you-…nevermind. Thanks bud." Hiccup bent down and retrieved his shirt from Toothless' mouth, which the dog had picked up from the far end of the field and gave his friend a scratch behind the ears. Still blushing, Hiccup turned his back on Astrid as he pulled the shirt over his head, not that Astrid was complaining, since it gave her an unrestricted view of Hiccups back. Almost reluctantly, she raised her eyes again as Hiccup turned back around, now fully clothed.

"So let me get this straight, you were standing on the side of the field, watching me run, without a shirt?" Hiccup asked, almost amused at this turn of events. Astrid meanwhile, missed his joking tone.

"I was _not _checking you out Henry Haddock. I was merely critiquing your running form." She answered, folding her arms and cocking her hip

"Allright allright, take it easy." Hiccup held up his hands in defeat, "Jeez, using my actual name. You must be mad. Anyways, what did you think?"

"Of you? I thought you looked _fine._" Astrid said to herself, externally however she replied, "Well, you don't run too bad, you have good timing, but your knees aren't coming high enough, and I don't know _what _your arms are doing."

"Hm. Coming from you, that's almost praise." Hiccup laughed. Astrid feigned insult, but relaxed her stance and laughed a little too.

"Well it's true. How come you never told me you ran?"

"I uh, I don't though. I just do it to relax."

Astrid shrugged and went down on one knee to hold out her hand for Toothless to sniff. Upon deciding that she posed no threat, Toothless nuzzled his head under her hand, seeking a pat on the head, which Astrid obliged.

"Oh right. Astrid, this is Toothless. Toothless, Astrid." Hiccup decided he'd better do the introductions.

"Hello Toothless." Astrid murmured, continuing to pat the dogs head, although a slight look of horror and more than a little confusion appeared on her face as she took in Toothless' missing leg.

"I don't know what happened there. I found him lying in a pile of trash in an alley one day when I was out running. His leg was already damaged." Hiccup said, answering Astrid's unspoken question.

"See. More running. I told you, you're not awful. You should come down to the track and have a go there sometime."

Hiccup almost fell over in surprise, but managed to maintain his composure. "What? Me? But I can't do that. The track is reserved for academy athletes only. And besides, I can't run properly. You saw me."

"Yes I saw you. But if you want to improve, the only way to do it is with a proper running coach, dummy." Astrid said, finally rising from the ground, only to punch Hiccup on the upper arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" Hiccup asked, rubbing his arm.

"For telling me you can't run. If you get a proper coach, you'll be okay."

"Never be as good as you though." Hiccup replied.

"For gods sake Hiccup. Just come and give it a go would you?" Astrid was getting annoyed, and Hiccup could tell. Deciding Astrid was scary when she was agitated, Hiccup made his decision.

"Okay, whatever. I might come down sometime. Who's the coach?"

Astrid smiled a little when Hiccup answered. "An ex-paralympian, Gobber…I don't know his last name. Never thought to ask him actually."

"Gobber? As in Gobber the one armed, one legged Gobber?" Hiccup asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah that one." Astrid answered, "Why, do you know him?"

"Um, kinda. He used to do a lot of work with my dad after he finished with the Paralympics. But that was when I was a kid. I haven't seen much of him since then."

"Small world. But that's sorted then. You know Gobber, so you can come down and have a go at the track."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not giving me much choice in this?" Hiccup asked.

"Because you're not." Astrid smiled, and Toothless barked from between them, as if supporting Astrid.

"See, even Toothless wants you to go." Astrid said, giving the dog another pat on the head.

"Traitor." Hiccup smirked at his dog, before looking back at Astrid and sighing. "What times your bus supposed to leave?"

"Oh shit, I forgot about that. Um, damn it. It left about 5 minutes ago." Astrid said, checking her watch quickly and groaning.

"Oh well. You can come home with me and I'll give you a lift if you want…I uh, I mean. I'm not forcing you or anything, because that wouldn't be very polite It's just a suggestion. I only live about 10 minutes walk away from here." Hiccup finished weakly, sure that he had just embarrassed himself even more than he already had and that Astrid would turn him down and insist that she'd take the next bus.

Astrid watched Hiccup silently as he murmured to himself, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at something very interesting on the ground. Now that she was up close to him again, she thought it was kind of cute, the way he got all flustered when he was embarrassed.

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea. The buses are kind of dodgy at this time anyway."

"I knew it, I'll just be going now. Wait. What?" Hiccup looked up from the ground, not sure he'd heard correctly.

"I said, that you giving me a lift sounds like a good idea." Astrid repeated, slowly, as if she was talking to a kindergartener, despite smiling to herself, and at Hiccups look of shock.

"Oh. Um, right. Okay then." Hiccup kept rubbing the back of his neck, and seemed to be looking everywhere but at Astrid. "Well uh, it's this way."

"Lead the way, by all means." Astrid gestured for Hiccup to continue and fell into step beside him, Toothless trotting along in front of them, tail wagging happily.


	9. Chapter 9

The walk home was very subdued, Hiccup was focused on where his feet where going and Astrid just walked beside him, one earphone in and keeping up with him silently. Every now and then Hiccup would steal glances at Astrid as they walked, and usually she would miss them, too busy just taking in the details of Hiccups neighbourhood, but once Hiccup let his gaze linger a bit too long and she caught him, cocking an eyebrow in silent question, but Hiccup was too embarrassed to do anything but blush and look back at the ground. Astrid smiled and noticed the way Hiccup blushed almost the same colour as his hair, before shrugging and continuing walking. To Hiccups relief, they reached his house without any further embarrassment on his part, and as he opened the door he performed a little mock-bow and twirled his hand.

"Welcome to my humble abode milady." He said, although he was still staring at the ground, wondering what in high hell had given him the courage to call her that. Astrid raised her eyebrows again and suppressed a smile, returned his bow with a small curtsey.

"Thank you good sir." She giggled, and stepped inside. Straightening up, Hiccup followed her inside, although he almost walked into her again, as she had stopped just inside the door, unsure of what to do next. Of course, Stoick would choose to walk out at that moment, and he stopped dead upon seeing Astrid in the doorway, Hiccup beside her.

"Hiccup. Who is the pretty lady you've bought home?" He asked, amusement evident in his voice. "I didn't know you were dating someone." It was Astrid's turn to blush and look at the ground as Hiccup groaned and put his face in his hands, Toothless of course, couldn't care less and instead walked straight to the kitchen, looking for something to eat.

"Dad, please. We're not dating. Um, dad. This is Astrid. Astrid, this is my dad." Hiccup's voice was still muffled through his hands, but Astrid had recovered enough to step forward and put her hand out to Stoick.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." She said, and Stoick laughed to himself and shook her hand.

"Please, I have a name. It's Stoick and I'd rather not be known as anything else. And the pleasure is mine Astrid." Stoick was still shaking a little with laughter as Valka walked into the entrance hall, followed by Toothless, who was licking his lips, evidently having made quick work of whatever it was that Valka had fed him.

"Oh, you're home Hiccup. And who is the young lady?" Valka asked, stopping next to Stoick. Hiccup let his hands fall, still very embarrassed by the whole thing.

"Well I wasn't planning on having you meet my parents, but since they're here, Astrid, this is my mother Valka. Mum, this is Astrid. She goes to college with me. Well, I mean, we go to the same college." Hiccup gave up trying to cover his embarrassment and instead walked past Astrid to fetch his car keys. "Mum, dad, it's my fault Astrid missed her bus, so I'm going to drive her home." Valka nodded and smiled at Astrid, who returned the gesture, but still remained standing in the hall, not sure if she should follow Hiccup or not.

"What did Hiccup do to cause you to miss your bus?" Valka asked politely.

"He was…I uh. I was helping him with his running form." Astrid answered. _"I was also sort of checking your son out. Nice work there by the way guys" _she thought to herself.

"Oh, do you do any running yourself?" Stoick put in.

"Yeah, I do. I'm actually under a scholarship at the local sports academy."

"And how are you finding that?"

"It's good. Hard work, and the coach is a demon. But it's not a bad life I suppose." Astrid said, easing up a little now that they were on a topic she knew about.

"Oh? Who is the coach? Stoick asked.

"A man named Gobber. Actually Hiccup said you knew him." Astrid replied.

"Ah Gobber. I was wondering what happened to him. I haven't seen him for years. How is he? Still a hard nut by the sounds of it." Stoick laughed, and Astrid found herself laughing slightly too.

"Yes, he's definitely earned his reputation. Some of his sets are…painful, to put it politely." And Stoick laughed again as Hiccup re-entered the room, car keys in hand.

"Okay then, are you ready to go Astrid?" He asked, stopping beside her. She nodded and turned towards the doorway.

"It was nice to meet you Stoick, and you Valka." She said.

"Same to you Astrid, feel free to drop round anytime." Valka answered, smiling at her again.

"Say hello to Gobber for me." Stoick said, nodding at her and waving.

"Will do." And with that, she exited the house, heading towards Hiccups car parked outside.

"You want to come for a drive Toothless?" Hiccup spoke to his friend, now lying on the floor again, quite obviously about to fall asleep. When he got nothing but a breath of air and a few tail thumps on the floor, Hiccup shrugged and went out to where Astrid was waiting.


	10. Chapter 10

Despite his embarrassment at what had just occurred and his nervousness at having Astrid sitting in the passenger seat next to him, Hiccup looked at her and spoke.

"Just so you know, you're going to have to direct me to your place."

"Oh, right. Um, just head back towards the football field for now and we'll go from there." She replied, not as nervous as he was, although still recovering from meeting his parents so abruptly. Hiccup started the car and drove away from his house, heading in the given direction, grateful for the road that required his attention and kept his thought away from what had just occurred. The two of them were silent for the period that it took them to retrace their path back to the football field before Astrid spoke up.

"Just head along this street towards the main road, then a left and follow it out a bit." Hiccup just nodded and continued driving, unsure of what to say.

"…Your parents seem nice." Astrid seemed to have thought of something to break the silence and Hiccup was grateful for it.

"Yeah, they're pretty good. Well, I suppose I have to say that don't I? Seeing as they _are _my parents and all." Hiccup shrugged. "Dad can be a bit overexcited, but mom keeps him in line."

"What does your mom do?" Astrid asked, seemingly genuinely interested.

"She works at the Zoo, got a degree in zoology and all that stuff." Hiccup replied, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Astrid seated next to him.

"Well, that explains where you got your animal abilities from." She said, grinning at him.

"You wouldn't believe the number of times I've been told that." Hiccup sighed, well accustomed to people telling him that he took after his mother.

"What? Don't you like that? It's not a bad thing." Astrid said, a little worried she might have hit a sensitive spot.

"No I don't mind it. It's just, eventually I'm going to have to decide what I want to do with my life and I don't really want to be known for following in my mothers' footsteps my whole life."

"There's no shame in doing something you're good at." She reminded him. "Take a right here." Hiccup indicated and made the turn, before looking at her again and shrugging.

"Yeah I know, I don't feel any shame in it. I just don't even know for myself what I want to do."

"You're studying engineering right? Is that what you want to do?"

"Meh. To be completely honest I only took that course because it seemed like a good idea at the time, seeing as I'm always tinkering with things. But the further I get into the course, the less I care. The stuff has its place I suppose, it's just not what I'm interested in." Hiccup paused as Astrid indicated the next left before continuing. "I'll find something eventually, but for now I guess I'll just continue to putt along in this course. But enough about me, what about you? What made you want to do sport science?" Astrid noticed the shift in conversation, but replied anyway.

"It works for me. I always liked physical stuff, and with this course I can do that, and it helps me understand my training better. Or I could do physiotherapy or become a sports scientist. Whatever takes my fancy really."

"Hm. What are your parents like?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, mom was a teacher. But she's on maternity leave right now, taking care of my baby brother. And dad's a construction worker. Pretty standard family really, nothing particularly interesting. Your family seems much more lively."

"You have a baby brother? What's his name?" Hiccup, being an only child had never known the ins and outs of having siblings.

"Jack. Like I said, standard family."

"Well I for one, think you're very interesting. Astrid Hofferson." Hiccup said, smiling and glancing at her.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She replied, returning his smile with a tilt of her head. "Uh, take this right coming up, then it's the fourth house on the left." Hiccup found himself in a typical suburb, a variety of one and two-storey houses neatly spaced apart, a park down the end of the street, which turned out to be a cul-de-sac. Astrids house in particular was two-storeys, one of the nicer looking houses along the street, and it wouldn't have looked out of place in a family movie. A pathway leading up to the front door neatly dissecting the freshly mown lawn, windows either side of the top floor. Hiccup pulled up alongside the footpath, and put the car in neutral.

"Last stop on the Hiccup taxi service. Everybody out."

"Are you that eager to get rid of me Haddock?" Astrid asked. And Hiccup backpedalled double-time.

"No no. I-I mean. I um, uh…" But he stopped himself as he saw that she was laughing again.

"Relax Hiccup, thanks for the ride. I appreciate it."

"Oh, um. No worries." Hiccup answered, still flustered as Astrid stepped smoothly out of the car.

"Oh, one more thing." She said, poking her head back through the door frame. "You _are _still coming to track sometime right?"  
>"Of course. I said I would didn't I? I'm a man of my word. Does <em>this <em>look like the body of a liar to you?" He said, indicating himself.

"No, no it doesn't." Astrid replied. _"It looks like a damn fine body to me." _More of Astrids internal monologue, and she shook her head. "But I reckon we can make it better if you come to training."

"So you _were _checking me out earlier." Hiccup declared, a wide grin appearing on his face.

Astrid flushed, mumbling something about adorable, cocky little shits before bidding him goodnight and closing the door, waving to him as he beeped his horn before driving off.

"And then she mumbled something and said goodbye." Hiccup was lying on his bed, Toothless draped over his legs, talking to Fish on his mobile.  
>"Wow Hiccup, I'm surprised. Your voice didn't crack once. Astrid saw you with your shirt off, she met your parents, you drove her home and you even managed to flirt a little. You've come a long way since highschool." Fishlegs' amusement was evident in his tone, although there was also a hint of pride there too.<p>

"We don't talk about highschool, remember Fish? We try and repress those memories."

"Of course we do. You've had a busy couple of days my friend."

"Yeah, you could say that." Hiccup groaned and sat up, dislodging Toothless from his legs, who looked very upset indeed before readjusting himself and plopping his head down on one of the spare pillows. Hiccup meanwhile, span around and dangled his legs off his bed, swinging them aimlessly as he talked to his friend.

"So how have you been Fish?"

"Oh, not bad. I passed that exam and assignment. Now I've really got nothing to do besides study."

"Really Fish? That's what you're going to do in your spare time?"

"As I've said before Hiccup, everyone has their little quirks."

"But you could always come down with me to the track and be my moral support while I get slaughtered by Astrid and Gobber..."

"Why would I do that? Why would I go get sweaty and exhausted when I can sit here and study?"

"Because you're my friend, and I need the support. And I said you should come and watch, not train."

"I dunno Hiccup, there's a lot of stuff I need to cover…"

"Oh come on Fish. If I know you, you've already finished reading the textbook and compiled so many notes that you could write another textbook on how to study the textbook you're supposed to be reading."

"It never hurts to have a good set of notes. The person with the best notes gets the best grade." Hiccup couldn't see his friend, but he could picture him closing his eyes, sticking out his bottom lip and making a dignified face at nothing.

"Pleeeaaaase Fish?" Hiccup pleaded, knowing he was close to getting his friend to submit.

"…I'll come down for your first session. That's it." Fishlegs sighed.

"Awww yes. Thanks Fish. I owe you one."

"Damn right you do Hiccup."


	11. Chapter 11

A few days later Hiccup found himself sitting on the ground, legs stretched out in front of him as he tried to touch his toes. Fishlegs sat in the stands, quite happy it wasn't him out there, and Astrid was being put through some warm up drills by Gobber. Hiccup had been welcomed rather warmly by the man, who remembered Stoick and had given Hiccup a firm handshake (actually Hiccup was surprised his hand was still intact. For a man with only two limbs, Gobber was still freakishly strong) and told him to do some warm up stretches.

"Come on Hiccup. Try harder. Reach those toes." Gobber called out from the side of the track, across to Hiccup who was seated on the runway for the long jump.

"Try harder he says. Reach he says." Hiccup mumbled to himself as he strained and wiggled his fingers to try and get some more reach. But it was no good, his fingers refused to go any further past the middle of his shin.

"See, now this is why you should stretch after a session." Gobber said as he approached, having given Astrid a break to get a drink. "You've gotta try and _relax." _And with that, he put his good foot on Hiccups back and pushed, forcing his chest down to his thighs and his fingertips shot forward another few inches. Hiccup however, forced his eyes shut and let out a groan of pain through his teeth, having never been stretched that far in his life. Astrid looked over at him and laughed.

"Enjoying it Hiccup?" She called out.

"Not…particularly." He replied, still gritting his teeth, and Gobber grinned through his moustache and beard pushing a little harder.

"See? Eventually you'll be able to stretch a little bit further, and further, _and further."_

_"OW! OW! OW! HOLY SHIT! OW! AGH! STOP!" _Hiccup cried out, half-laughing, half-shouting, and Gobber relented, taking his foot off Hiccups back and stepping aside. "Oh my god." Hiccup groaned, not sure if his spine was still in one piece, let alone his hamstrings.

"Right. That'll do for warm up stretching. Get over here and show me what you can do." Gobber didn't ease up, and Hiccup hobbled over to the start line.

"Did you see what Astrid was doing before? Her drills?" Gobber asked, and Hiccup nodded. "Good, I want you to copy what you think she was doing." Hiccup looked over at Astrid, who simply smiled at him and gestured with her hand, as if to say "get on with it." So Hiccup did, running on the spot, knees high(1). Eventually he began to move, but he hadn't gone more than ten metres before Gobber called him back.  
>"Not bad, not bad. You've got good knee height, but your legs are coming too far out the back, Try it again, this time focus on bringing your knees forwards more." And Hiccup repeated the drill, trying to incorporate Gobbers feedback into it. This process continued for about 20 minutes, Hiccup running with high knees for ten metres, before walking back to Gobber and getting feedback. Hiccup may have been good with theory, but there was so much he learnt from Gobber in that first session, the position of his body relative to his knees, where his leading foot hit the ground, the movement of his arms. Throughout this time Astrid had been running her own sets, and she pulled up next to Gobber, sipping from a water bottle as Hiccup went through his drills again.<p>

"Where'd you find him?" Gobber asked her.

"At one of the football fields. Running by himself." She replied.

"He taught himself to run like that?" Her coach said, surprised.

"I guess so. He's good with theory and stuff, and we go to the same college. But I don't know how much running he's done before."

"He's got potential. If I can get him to stick around he might turn out well. Might even give you a run for your money." He said slyly, looking at Astrid out of the corner of his eye.

"Sure sure coach. In his dreams." As she said this, Hiccup finished with his last rep, and Gobber waved him over.

"Right, you've done some drills and whatnot, now I want to see if you can convert them to your running. 40m, from here to that hurdle." Gobber indicated a solid wooden beam on some stilts that sat further down the track. Hiccup nodded, although he looked a little unsure of something.

"Are you sure? Only 40m? I can run that no problems." He said, and Gobber folded his arms, a strange look on his face. Astrid could only stand silently and watch, a look of amusement in her eyes, as though she knew what was coming next.

"Oh can you now? Allright then, since 40 metres is a bit too short for you, how about this. You've got three reps of 800m. Leaving on 2 minutes 50. Ready, set. GO!" Hiccup stood still, unsure about whether or not Gobber was serious.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GET. RUNNING!" At that, Hiccup decided that Gobber was most definitely serious, and took off, rounding the bend into the back straight.

"This isn't so bad. It's only two laps." Hiccup thought to himself. His confidence wavered a little however, as he rounded the bend out of the back straight and into the home straight, closest to where Fish was sitting. Fish had a look of dejection and pity on his face, and Hiccup couldn't help but wonder why. Then as he crossed the line to start his second lap, he felt it. His legs became heavy, his breathing was laboured. By the time he had done 500 metres, his lungs were on fire, and his legs weren't far behind.  
>"300 metres to go." Hiccup thought, looking down at his feet, before deciding he didn't want to run into anything and looking up again. "Wait, what? What do you mean I've only done another 30 metres. Where's the 200 metre mark? Oh come on. Jesus this sucks. In, out, in, out. Breathe. Come on. There it is. Oh can I just stop now. Fuck this hurts. Air. Breathe. 100 metres. Push, come on. This is the longest 100 metres of my life. OH FINALLY." And with that he crossed the line and doubled over, heaving in huge gasps of air, trying to get rid of the pain in his legs.<br>"3, 2…" Came Gobbers call.

"Oh no." Hiccup thought.

"GET RUNNING HICCUP." Forcing his legs into motion, Hiccup started running again, only this time there was no thoughts of cruising, only the pain and the lack of oxygen. And it lasted a lot longer.

A few minutes later, Hiccup lay on the grass inside the track, sweating, exhausted, hot and heaving in air as fast as humanly possible, and quite happy to lie there for the next few hours. However his attempted rest was interrupted by the sound of someone walking up to him.

"Well. How was that?" Gobber sounded immensely pleased with himself, and a second, then a third pair of footsteps signalled the arrival of Astrid and Fishlegs.

"I'd say he enjoyed it." Astrid said, amusement evident in her voice.

"He seems to be dying a little." Fishlegs commented, although he was also smiling.

Hiccup was too busy trying to get some air back to answer, and Gobber continued.  
>"Now Hiccup, there is a reason why I only wanted you to run 40 metres to start with. If we had a video here, I'd show you, but you'll have to take my word for it. Your form was good. For the first hundred metres. Then it went to shit. And you only got slower and slower. The reason I want you to start with 40 metres is so as you learn to run with good technique, and good technique only. And at maximum speed. It's either as fast as you can go, or it's not. Do you understand?" Hiccup had recovered enough to push himself into a sitting position and accept the bottle of water that Fish handed him, and he gulped it down, before wiping his mouth and sighing.<p>

"Yes sir."

"Good." Said Gobber, still smiling to himself. "Well that'll do you for today, go and do some warm down stretching, and you can head off." Dragging himself up, Hiccup gingerly made his way back to the long jump runway to start his warm down, Fishlegs walking beside him.

"So how are you enjoying athletics?" Fish asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Can't talk. Too busy dying here."

(1) This video does a pretty good job summing up the basics of the high knee drill if you're interested. Like I said earlier, there's a lot of sporty stuff in here. So uh, yeah. I just hope I don't confuse you guys too much  
>watch?v=8opcQdC-V-U<p>

(2) I dunno what sort of a coach movie Gobber would be, but where I train, there's an ex rugby player who also does boxing and yoga, and the first time I trained under him, he bent me in, out and all the way around when we did stretching. Great man and a good sense of humour, bloody brutal trainer though.


	12. Chapter 12

_**I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. I'm usually pretty on top of these things but I've been pretty flat out with work and training lately. Anyway, here it is. There isn't really any major plot development. I just thought it'd be nice to have Astrid and Hiccup doing something. **_

A little later Hiccup and Fish were sitting on the steps outside the entrance to the academy. Well, Fish was sitting. Hiccup was splayed over the ground, spread eagled and kind of wishing that he had a new pair of legs while Fish tried to explain why he had fallen apart so spectacularly..

"See Hiccup, your body has different energy systems, and from what you've told me, you would have only been training the one. Anything over 10 seconds uses what's called the 'aerobic' system, anything under-" Hiccup was spared the lecture by the arrival of Astrid, and he stood up, before realising his legs were still completely wasted and lay back down. Astrid walked over to the two of them and leaned casually on one of the railings.

"Soooo. How did you find it?" She asked, trying to suppress a grin.

"You saw me. I practically died." Hiccup answered her, gesturing back to the athletics track.

"Yeah, but it was fun to watch."

"Oh jeez, that really boosts my confidence." Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked up at the sky.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, Gobber thinks that you have potential. I know he says a lot of weird, sporty sounding stuff, but he knows what he's doing. It even took me a while to wrap my head around what he was saying. Actually I still haven't managed to understand _everything _he says."

"How long has he been your coach?" Fishlegs asked politely.

"Since I started here at the academy. Although I'd heard about him from other coaches where I was before. The man has a reputation." Astrid replied, shrugging.

"So I've noticed." Hiccups voice came from between them and they both looked at him.

"Awww, what's the matter Hiccup? Coach Gobbers sessions too hard for you?" Astrid teased.

"Well technically he shouldn't have made you do something that big in your first session." Fishlegs put in, and he paused before adding, "but it _was _kind of funny to watch you suffer."

"Again guys, thanks for the confidence boost." Hiccup groaned.

"Don't mention it." Astrid said cheerfully. "Now get up. The best part about training is the food. Come on, let's go get something to eat."

"Ooohhh. That's right Hiccup. You need to eat after training to replenish your energy stores and-" Whatever Fishlegs was saying was lost again as Hiccups brain tried to catch up with events. Astrid had just asked them to go and eat with her. Right? Was she asking him specifically or did she want Fish to come along too? It's not like Hiccup had his hopes up for just himself and Astrid or anything. Not at all.

"Uhh, when you say 'we', are you referring to you and me? Or you, me and Fishlegs?" He asked, cautiously raising himself up on his elbows.

"Well it'd be rude of me not to invite Fishlegs along too, wouldn't it? That is, unless you have other plans Fish?" Astrid said, turning to face the boy in question.

"Actually I do. I have to go and tutor one of the students that I'm supervising during my placement in a class. It's good experience. She needs help with some maths." Fish replied. It was half true. He _did _have to go and tutor someone, but it wasn't for at least another hour. But he had also known about Hiccups crush on Astrid since day one, so he figured he'd give his friend some alone time.

"Oh, no worries Fish. But next time you have to come, okay?" Astrid said.

"Of course I will. I'll see you two later." And with that, Fish took his leave, waving at Astrid, winking at Hiccup, heading for his car.

Hiccup stared after Fish, simultaneously excited and nervous at the prospect of spending some more time alone with Astrid.  
>"<em>My god do I owe you Fishlegs."<em> Hiccup thought to himself.

"Come on. Put your shirt on and lets go eat. I'm starving." Astrid walked past him, heading for the carpark. "You're driving of course."

"Right. Of course." Hiccup muttered, and ignoring his protesting legs, he got to his feet and hobbled after her.

* * *

><p>"What do you want to eat?" Hiccup asked Astrid as they stood in the food court of the mall, a short drive from the track.<p>

"Hmmm…I'm thinking I'll go for a wander. See if anything catches my eye." She said, tapping her fingers on her chin.

"Okay then, I might do the same. Meet back here in 10?"

"Sure." And with that they separated, heading for the first outlets they saw.

Astrid was just starting on her Subway when Hiccup sat down with his chicken kebab.

"Not a bad choice." Astrid noted, her speech slightly distorted by the mouthful of sandwich.

"Eh, it was there, and it was cheap." He replied, tearing into his own meal.

"You wouldn't believe how badly Gobber was on my ass about what I ate when I started training under him." Astrid said, starting the conversation.

"I'm going to assume this has something to do with what Fishlegs was saying before. Either that or some sort of superhuman athletic performance enhancement." Hiccup replied, and Astrid smiled through another mouthful, but took her time and chose to swallow before she answered.

"Ha, no not really. It just sort of goes hand in hand with better performance. I could bore you with the intricate details of it all, but from what I've seen, Fish does that already." She paused before quirking an eyebrow at him. A gesture he was quickly becoming used to. "Are we really going to spend all this time talking about my diet?" Hiccup's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly, swallowing his food before answering hastily.

"No no. No that wouldn't be a very entertaining topic of conversation. Uhh, how's your study going?" Hiccup could have slapped himself. _"Really Hiccup? Really? You just went from one lousy topic to another. "How's your study going." My god."_ But to his relief, Astrid laughed.

"Smooth Haddock. Real smooth. Clearly you've mastered the art of conversation. But anyway, it's going well. Kind of tired of the constant flow of studying though, so I'm looking forward to the end of year break."

"Oh yes, I'm a certified professional in conversations." Hiccup said sarcastically. "But I know what you mean, I'm getting tired of the study. It'll be nice to do nothing but kill time with Fish and Toothless in a few weeks."

"You're going to keep coming to the track though right?" Astrid asked, finishing her sandwich and wiping her mouth.

"I dunno. It was pretty tough earlier."

"But Gobber thinks you have potential. And it gets easier with time."

"I sure hope it gets easier. I don't know how long I could take suffering like that." Hiccup grimaced.

"I can't push you I suppose." Astrid conceded. "But it'd be nice to have some company."

"True. I probably will go back. Just need to recover from this session." He said jokingly.

"Oh I couldn't walk properly for at least 3 days after Gobbers first session. But I told you that before." Astrid said, seemingly relieved at the thought that Hiccup might go back with her. "Hey, you never told me how you met Toothless."

"No, no I suppose I didn't. Good story actually. It was first year of college, so you weren't here. I was running, in the rain…"


	13. Chapter 13

A little later, Astrid and Hiccup were in the car again, this time heading towards Fishlegs' house.  
>"This is becoming a habit." Hiccup said, keeping his eyes on the road.<p>

"What is?" Astrid replied, looking puzzled.

"Me, driving you places. I might have to start charging you for this." He answered in a mock-serious tone.

"Like you would Haddock."

"Why not? It's expensive driving around all the time. And I need the gas money anyways." Astrid was silent for a moment as she tried to figure out if he was for real.

"Are you being serious?" She finally asked. And Hiccup looked sideways at her, and seeing her expression, he decided to drop the act.

"I'm kidding Astrid. Relax. The pleasure of your company is payment enough Milady." Astrid raised her eyebrows and looked out the windscreen again before replying.

"If I didn't know better Hiccup, I'd almost say that was a compliment. Maybe even an attempt at flirting. Are you flirting with me Hiccup?" Hiccup looked at her again, but couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Uh, um. I-I mean. It doesn't…have to be if that makes you uncomfortable. Um, what I mean is, I-"

"Hiccup. Relax. I'm playing with you." She said, turning her head to face him again, and this time she was the one grinning at him. Hiccup looked at her for a moment before returning his attention to the road.

"Oh." They were silent for a while, the silence broken only by the sound of the engine and other cars on the road.

"Can I ask you something?" Hiccup said tentatively.

"You just did." Astrid answered, smirking at him.

"Oh ha-ha. I get enough of that from my dad already."

"Well in that case I suppose I should humour you. Ask away." Hiccup was quiet for a moment as he tried to think of the best way to phrase his question.

"Do you, uh, have a partner?" He finally asked. The look on Astrid's face told him that this was certainly not what she was expecting, but she answered him anyway.

"Nope."

"That's it? Just, nope?"

"Well, I could go into extravagant detail about how my life was pretty well consumed by training, studying and adjusting to living in a new area for most of last year, but that's unnecessary. The long and short of it is, no. I don't have a partner."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. Sensitive topic." Hiccup said quietly, suddenly intent on the road.

"It's okay. I've gotten used to the concept. Training takes up a lot of time and to be honest, there weren't many people I fancied where I was last year." She said, trying to reassure him.

"I understand. Actually I don't have many friends besides Fish. And college isn't really capturing my attention right now. All I do besides hand in assignments is sit at home and fiddle with things or keep Toothless company. Occasionally go for a run too. I almost fell asleep in my lecture that day I ran into you."

"You literally did run into me didn't you?" She said, laughing.

"Yeah, I guess I did. Not my proudest moment."

"I was kind of shocked when I recognised you. You used to be shorter than me. It felt weird having to look up at your face."

"Amazing how stuff changes over time. Do you see much of the old crew? Snotlout and the twins? I mean." Hiccup asked, genuinely curious.

"No not really. Ruffnut _was _doing long jump last time I knew, she was actually training with me. Tuffnut was still Tuffnut. He passed his final year, that's all I know. Snotlout is-"

"Doing an apprenticeship under my father. His uncle." Hiccup finished. "He's the only one I know about. Makes sense I suppose, big, strong, manly kid like that doing some labouring work." Hiccup almost sounded resentful, and Astrid could hear it.

"Are you upset at something?" She asked cautiously.

"Not really I suppose. It's just, he has something, a direction in his life. I'm almost halfway through a course I decided to do on a whim, and now I don't know how much I want to do it." He said, still keeping his eyes on the road.

"Could always change courses." Astrid suggested. "No shame in that. What would you do instead?"

"That's the thing. I have no idea what I would do. Nothing really piques my interest." Hiccup sighed.

"You're too smart for your own good." Astrid smiled. "Give it time. No point in rushing things." Hiccup took his eyes of the road for a second to look at her.

"Was that a compliment Ms. Hofferson?" He asked.

"Yes. Yes it was Mr. Haddock. Now get your eyes back on the road." She replied, indicating the traffic lights that they were approaching.

"As you wish Milady." He said, bowing his head as best he could.

* * *

><p>"Hey Fish." Hiccup called as he opened the front door<p>

"Hey Hiccup." Came the reply from somewhere further inside the house. "Just give me a second." There were a few quiet words and Fishlegs appeared out of a room further down the entrance hall.

"Hi guys, that was a quick date." He said, suppressing a grin.

"It wasn't a date." Astrid said, as Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck and looked around at anything but her and Fish. "It was a post training meal."

"Of course it was." Fish said, still smilling. "Come on in, I'm just finishing up with the tutoring." Astrid and Hiccup followed Fishlegs back down the hallway and into the room he had exited, which turned out to be the living room. And there, sitting cross-legged on the floor, was.

"Ruff?" Astrid asked incredulously.

"Hiya Hofferson." Ruffnut replied. Glancing up at Astrid from her sheets of paper.

"_You're _the student Fishlegs is tutoring?" Hiccup said.

"Obviously dimwit." Ruff said. Now focussed back on her work. "That's why I'm here isn't it?"

"Uh, yea-uh…I suppose so." He stammered, before turning to look at Fish. "Fish, what the hell man? Why didn't you tell me that you were tutoring Ruffnut?"

"Because I didn't see any point." Fish said as he shrugged. "What, you expect me to just 'Hey Hiccup, I'm tutoring Ruffnut'?" Hiccup had the grace to look slightly ashamed as he answered.

"No. I suppose that makes sense. It's just kind of a shock to the system to see her after a while." Fishlegs smiled at him and clapped him on the back.

"Do you want something to drink?" He asked, tilting his head towards the kitchen.

"Um, I-" Hiccup began, but stopped himself as Fish raised his eyebrows and looked at Ruff and Astrid, who were now deep in conversation. "Yeah actually. I'll take some water." And with that the two of them left the room, leaving the two girls to catch up with each other.

_**Ta-daaa. I actually have no idea what just happened, but I kept thinking that Fish and Ruffnut are often paired up (not saying it's going to happen) and I did think that there needed to be a few more characters brought back into it. It wasn't originally going to be Ruffnut sitting there on the floor, but it worked, so I went with it. And besides, Astrid needs a girlfriend to talk about Hiccup with, doesn't she?**_

_**P.S I've noticed that has a habit of bunching all the text up (my apologies for this happening with all the previous chapters). I do write this stuff out on MS Word, but fiddling with is proving to be a pain. Would you like me to try and space out the text some more to make it easier on the eyes?**_

**_P.P.S I don't know what you guys are thinking, do you want Astrid and Hiccups relationship to develop a little quicker, or are you happy to let me fiddle with a few things and watch them develop over time? I have ideas, but they're only ideas right now. Nothing concrete._**


	14. Chapter 14

"My god Ruff. Nice of you to tell me you were in town." Astrid sat down on the couch opposite Rachael Thorston, who was now putting her papers and stationary back in her bag. "How long have you been here?" Ruff zipped up her bag and sat down on the other end of the couch before facing Astrid and answering.

"About three weeks."

"Were you planning on telling me that you were in town?" Astrid asked.

"Eventually. Been kinda busy trying to save my own ass with these grades." Ruffnut answered, indicating the bag full of homework.

"Oh? And why choose Fishlegs to help you? Got a secret thing I don't know about?" Astrid said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Fuck off Hofferson. He's just in my lecture at uni."

"_So you're at the same uni as me too." _Astrid remarked, throwing her hands up. "It's been three weeks and I haven't seen you once up till now."

"Again. Trying to save my ass here." Ruff said, and Astrid had to concede.

"Fine. But Fish told us that he was tutoring someone from the class he was on placement with. Are you still doing long jump?"

"Not really. I stopped earlier this year because it was eating into my time to deal with college."

"Wow, Ruffnut Thorston actually focusing on her studies. Wonders shall never cease."

"Stick it." Ruff grimaced, but she smirked at Astrid as a thought crossed her mind. "And where do you get off interrogating me about Fishlegs? You just walked through the front door with the Fishbone."

"His name is Hiccup." Astrid replied, although she averted her gaze slightly.

"Oh. My. God. Astrid Hofferson has a thing for Hiccup Haddock." Ruff said slowly, like she couldn't believe what she was saying. "How long have you been dating? Have you done it yet? I need details. Tell me, tell me."

_"Ruff!" _Astrid cried, shocked by her friends bluntness, glancing in the direction of the kitchen she lowered her voice. "We're not dating. And we have not, as you so kindly put, _done it."_

"That's not what Fishlegs told me. He said he left you two alone to go on a date just before."

"Oh he did, did he?" Astrid looked at where Fish and Hiccup had gone, "I'll have to have a word to dear old Fishlegs later on."

"You mean to tell me that you've been here for what, almost six months now and you haven't done anything with Hiccup?" Ruff asked, ignoring the possibility of being interrupted.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you." Astrid replied, crossing her arms and leaning back on the arm of the couch.

"Damn Astrid. You better do something soon, there's some good looking girls on campus. He might take a fancy to one of them."

"No he won't." And Ruff cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh? What makes you so sure?" She asked. Astrid unfolded her arms but she retained her air of dignity.

"He asked me in the car on the way here if I was in a relationship. I told him I wasn't."

"So he's trying to decide if you're available or not before he tries to snag another girl."

"Come on Ruff. Does Hiccup really seem like that kind of guy to you? He's not Snotlout you know."

"That's true. And I suppose there is the fact that he's had a crush on you since highschool." Ruff said, shrugging.

"Wait. What?" Astrid asked, legitimately surprised by this piece of news.

"Come on Astrid, everyone saw it but you. The guy was smitten."

"Well. That's flattering to know. But in any case, I don't want to rush into it. He might not still have the same feelings for me."

"Ten buck says he does." Ruff stuck out her hand.

"I am _not _betting on my future relationship prospects with you Thorston." Astrid said, although she was grinning.

"Whatever. You'd lose anyway. From what Fish says, Hiccup is still talking about you."

"Just how much talking has Fishlegs done anyways?" Astrid asked herself as she got to her feet and headed towards the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Fishlegs led Hiccup into the kitchen and retrieved two glasses, which he filled with tap water and turned to face his friend, who accepted the offered glass and leaned against the counter. After taking a sip, Hiccup spoke up again.<p>

"So. Where you planning on telling me that Ruff was back in town?" Fishlegs took his time drinking his water before setting the empty glass down on the counter.

"As I said before Hiccup, what did you expect me to do? 'Hi Hiccup. Ruffnut is back in town and I'm tutoring her."?"

"Yeah, well..." Hiccup began, but Fish cut him off.

"And besides, she asked me not to let anyone know. She's a little sensitive about her grades right now." That killed the rest of Hiccups questions, and the two friends stood in silence for a while before Fishlegs spoke.

"So how was your date?" He asked, barely suppressing a smile.

"You're really proud of yourself for setting that up aren't you?" Hiccup said, and Fish nodded slightly. "And it wasn't a date."

"Yes actually. One of my better moments. But still, how did it go?"

"What are you, the local gossip girl now?" Hiccup asked, a little exasperated.

"No, I'm merely interested to learn how you went during your first alone time with Astrid." Fishlegs replied, completely straight faced.

"Nothing happened really. What were you expecting? We had lunch, walked around the mall for a bit, then we got in the car and drove here. I was going to call you, but I guess I forgot."

"Is that the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" Fish asked.

"Strange. This doesn't look like a typical interrogation room." Hiccup made a show of looking around the kitchen, as if looking for some sort of hidden camera. "Yes Fish. I swear that is all that happened."

"Man, I was hoping _something _interesting would have happened." Fish sighed, shaking his head.

"Why are you suddenly so interested in seeing me in a relationship?" Hiccup asked, his voice rising slightly.

"Are you in a relationship now Hiccup?" Both boys turned to see Astrid and Ruffnut casually strolling into the kitchen, the former with her eyebrows raised as she waited for an answer.

"No. No I'm not." Hiccup answered hurriedly. "Although Fishlegs here seems very interested to see me in one all of a sudden." He said, as he turned back to face his friend, who held his hands out in a sign of peace.

"On that note Fishlegs." Astrid said, walking further into the kitchen as she spoke, a hint of steel in her tone. "Ruffnut and I have been talking, catching up, you know." She was still smiling sweetly as she pulled up a chair and sat at the island in the middle of the kitchen. "And _apparently, _you've been doing quite a bit of talking yourself."

"I have no idea what you're talking about Astrid." Fish said, trying to back up before realising he was already standing right in front of the counter and that the only way out was past Astrid.

"Oh this is going to be good." Ruff grinned to herself as she pulled up her own chair and sat down for the show.


	15. Chapter 15

"First things first Fish." Astrid began, and Fishlegs gulped audibly. "You're a great friend. You're brilliant, kind and gentle. And you're not afraid to give Hiccup a slap in the face when he needs one." Hiccup gave her a look, but she ignored it, still focused on Fishlegs. "_But, _I am also perfectly capable of working out when and who I get into a relationship with. And as much as I..._appreciate_, your efforts, I don't need them." Fish nodded so fast Hiccup was certain his head was neck was going to snap.

"Is there anything else you were going to add Hofferson?" Ruffnut called out from her seat on the other side of the kitchen.

"I'm getting there." Astrid replied, glancing at Ruff before turning back to face the poor boy in front of her. "Fish. One other thing. Girls talk. A lot. Maybe not about the same things boys talk about, but we talk nonetheless. And we also have ways of hearing secrets and rumours about ourselves. Particularly if they involve boys and potential relationships. Don't get me wrong, I like hearing that someone has a crush on me as much as the next girl. But I'd also rather hear it from his own mouth and not passed on and distorted through others. So. I would _very _much appreciate it, if you kept the gossip to a minimum. I've got enough on my plate with training and finals without the added stress of false rumours. Please and thank you." With that, Astrid deflated a little, slightly drained from her rant and releasing her pent up emotions. Fishlegs was still backed up against the counter, his knuckles white as they gripped the edge in a death vice, unsure if it would be wise to speak or not. He jumped a little as Ruffnut started laughing.

"Hahaha, oh my god Hofferson. You've just about killed the poor boy. Look at him, he looks like he's about to pass out. Relax Fishy. She's done." At that, Fish let go of the counter and fell on his butt on the floor of the kitchen, his knees having given out. Ruff got up of her chair and peeked over the counter to make sure he was still conscious, before turning to face the other two. "Well, with all this excitement, I'm starving. And it's almost dinner time anyways." She said as she checked her watch. "This is all nice and cosy, the four of us in here together. The only thing we need to make this better is some food. Who wants pizza?"

Astrid nodded as she got up to get herself a drink, and Fishlegs just waved weakly, resigned to spending the rest of the night on the floor. Hiccup was still slightly in shock at Astrids release of emotion and took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Um, yeah that's fine with me. But who's paying? I kind of already spent some money today on lunch." He said nervously.

"I got it covered. I'll ring Tuff and get him to bring us some." Ruff said, swiping her mobile and tapping it a few times before putting it to her ear. "Come on, pick up idiot...Oh, hey douchebag. It's me. Yo, I'm still at tutoring, bring some pizza over would you? I want a cheese and pepperoni, extra cheese. And we'll have...what do you guys want" She asked the room at large.

"Supreme. No olives." Astrid replied.

"If it's okay, I'll take hawaiian." Said Hiccup. Fishlegs was still silent so Hiccup put in an extra cheese and pepperoni for him.

"You get that Tuff? Two pepperoni and cheese, a hawaiian, and a supreme with no olives. Hey you should knock off work and stay too. Just tell them that you had to go home early or something, I dunno...Why should you come? Well, there's the Fishbone, Hofferson, Fishlegs and myself here. Come and catch up with them. Allright, see you in 20." And with that she shut off her phone and pocketed it. "Dinners sorted. It'll be about twenty minutes."

"Wait, is Tuff working at the pizza store?" Hiccup asked, curious to know.

"Yeah, been there for a while now."

"I wonder why I've never seen him." Hiccup pondered.

"Have you ordered pizza lately?" Ruff asked, and Hiccup shook his head.

"There you go. Tuff doesn't do much these days besides work."

"He's not at college or anything?"

"Please Hiccup. You know him, he passed high school, but now he's got no idea what he wants to do, so he's just killing time until he decides." Hiccup gave a non-committal shrug and nodded, satisfied with Ruff's answer, and he turned to face Fishlegs, still on the floor as he held out his hand.

"Come on Fish. You can't spend all night down there. You're still in one piece. Up you get." Fish took his hand gratefully and Hiccup heaved his friend to his feet.

* * *

><p>Ruffnut answered the door a little later as the doorbell rang, and Tuffnut stood there in his uniform, complete with company cap, holding their dinner.<p>

"About time." Ruff said, pulling him inside and closing the door. "I'm starving. I haven't eaten since lunch and tutoring and watching Astrid chew out Fishlegs, while entertaining, is hungry work."

"Wait. What. Astrid was yelling at Fishlegs?" Tuff said, his snide remark completely forgotten at the thought that he might have missed some violence.

"I wasn't yelling. Just, laying out a few things." Astrid answered for Ruff as herself, Fish and Hiccup looked up from the TV where some generic weeknight comedy show was on.

"Whoa, you weren't lying. Everyone is actually here." Tuff said, looking at his sister who took the pizzas from him and put them down before punching him.

"Of course they're here asshole. Why would I lie? They're the only reason I suggested you get off work early. Otherwise I would have left you there."

"Still the same as ever." Came Hiccup's voice, although his attention was now back on the television.

"Ayyy Fishbone." Tuff cried out as he walked up behind Hiccup and put him in a headlock, ruffling his hair.

"Careful Tuff." Ruffnut said warningly. "Astrid doesn't like it when you call her boyfriend 'Fishbone'."

"Whoa, you two are dating now?" Tuff asked, his wide-eyed gaze swivelling between Astrid, Hiccup and Ruffnut, looking for confirmation.

"We are not." Astrid muttered, as she threw a pillow at Ruffnut, who ducked and popped back up again, grinning. "I've actually just had a good talk with Fishlegs about false rumours, Tuff. I'd hate to have to do the same with you. Actually I wouldn't, but that's up to to you."

"I wouldn't test her Tuff." Fish put in. "She's scary when she's angry."

"Agh, cant...breathe." Hiccup gasped and Tuff let go, "Tuff what the hell? I'm the same age as you, so why are you ruffling my hair." Tuff made some sort of "I don't know" noise and shrugged, before opening one of the boxes to inspect the contents and handing it to Hiccup.

"One hawaiian...supreme...pepperoni and cheese...and a meatlovers for the awesome guy who brought you this feast." Tuff said as he handed out the pizzas to their respective customers. Astrid peeked at her pizza to make sure there were no olives before tearing off a piece and biting into it, and the others followed suit.

"So." Tuff began, his mouth full of dough and sauce. "What else did I miss?"


	16. Chapter 16

Later the next week, Astrid was trying to block out the sounds of her baby brother as she attempted to study for finals in her room. She wasn't having much luck. Jack was at the stage where he craved constant attention, and if he wasn't sleeping, he was crying. And since he'd just woken up from his midday nap, he was crying, which wasn't helping Astrid as she tried her best to wrap her head around the anatomy of the human body. As Jack's wailing reached a crescendo, she gave up and picked up her mobile, swiping through her contacts until she reached Hiccup's number. She tapped the phone and put it to her ear as she listened to the dial tone and the eventual "hello?"

"Hiccup. It's me."

"Who's me?" Came the sarcastic reply.

"Shut up." She replied, pinching the bridge of her nose when Jack started up again.

"Erm, is everything all right over there?" Hiccup asked, dropping the act. "Sounds a bit hectic."

"Meh. Jack's crying, I'm trying to study. I'm not having much luck. So I was wondering if you wanted to go to the college library and do some study together or something."

"Yeah sure, why not. I'd like to get out of the house for a while. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"If you don't mind. I'd rather not walk during the middle of the day."

"No worries. I'll be there in about 15 minutes." Hiccup said, and with that he hung up. Astrid closed her eyes and shut off her phone, marking her place in her textbook and closing it for a while. She walked out of her room into the family living space where her mother was sitting, trying to calm down her brother.

"Mom, Hiccup's coming round to pick me up in about 15 minutes. We're going to go and do some study at the college." Astrid said.

"Allright dear." Her mother replied, looking up to smile at her briefly. "Sorry about the noise. You never cried this much." There was a slight family resemblance between mother and daughter. Right now Astrids mother looked tired, which wasn't surprising since she rarely got more than four hours of straight sleep these days while she cared for Jack. Her husband helped out where he could, be he'd been spending more and more time at work on the construction sites since some new development buildings had gone up. Astrid and her mother shared the same blue eyes, but Astrid had got her blonde hair and athletic ability from her father, while her mothers hair was a light brown. Jack hadn't grown any distinctly-coloured hair yet, but his eyes were Hazel, like his fathers. It seemed the two siblings had gotten an equal mix of traits from both parents.

"It's okay." Astrid replied. "I guess he's just got energy to burn."

"You've been spending a fair bit of time with Hiccup lately."

"Oh mom, please don't start on me too. I get enough of that from Ruff." Astrid groaned.

"I'm not complaining about it." Her mother said. "As long as you're happy and he isn't trying to make a move on you."

"I can take care of myself mom."

"I know you can Astrid. Anyways, you'll have to invite him round one day so I can meet him. You told me you've already met his parents, it would be rude of myself and your father to remain anonymous to him."

"Maybe one day." Astrid sighed, heading back to her room.

* * *

><p>It wasn't overly crowded in the library, so Hiccup and Astrid chose a table and sat down, pulling out their respective notes. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the thick textbook Astrid hauled out of her bag.<p>

"Human anatomy and Physiology, 3rd Edition'. Sounds exciting." He commented, as he retrieved his own, but equally thick textbook on engineering.

"I could say the same about your...'Mathematics for Engineering'." Astrid replied as she opened up to the dog-eared page she'd been studying at home. Hiccup shrugged and copied her movements, as they both settled in for a long period of revision.

The two of them passed the next few hours in relative silence, neither of them speaking much, just enjoying each others company. Occasionally getting up to walk around or grab a drink. The activity in the library picked up and slowed around them, but eventually Astrid groaned and let her head fall on her textbook with a thud, and Hiccup looked up.

"Something wrong milady?" He asked.

"I'm done. We've been here for almost three hours now and if I have to read another sentence on the biceps femoris or the gastrocnemius I think I'm going to throw this textbook out the window."

"Biceps...isn't that these ones?" Hiccup said, making a show of flexing his arms.

"Nice try Haddock." Astrid smirked. "Those are your biceps yes, but the biceps femoris is located in your leg. That thing your pointing at is the Biceps brachii."

"Sounds too complicated for me." Hiccup said as he put down his pen and stretched out his back. "I'll leave the _biceps brachii _to Snotlout I think." Astrid flipped his notes around and glanced at them.

"I was never really impressed when guys tried to show off their arms." She said casually. "And why the hell are you talking about complicated when you've got half the alphabet _and _what looks like every prime number laid out on this sheet of paper."

"I think you might be exaggerating a little, but it's an equation." Hiccup replied.

"Jesus christ. Suddenly my anatomy test doesn't seem so hard."

"Haha. Want to swap?"

"Not a chance." She said, chucking an eraser at him. Hiccup ducked and laughed as he put his own notes and textbooks away.

"So, what now?" He asked, and Astrid glanced at her watch.

"Well, there's afternoon training in an hour. Do you want to go and grab a quick bite to eat before we go?" Hiccup nodded and the two of them got up from their table and left the library together.

* * *

><p>"Right. Today you're not doing any running." Gobber said as Hiccup and Astrid finished their warm up stretching.<p>

"Oh thank god for that." Hiccup said, but Gobbers next comment shut him up real quick.

"You've got core this afternoon." And Astrid looked at him with the same devious smile she'd given him just before Gobber had told him to go and run 800 metres.

"Erm. What exactly is 'core'?" Hiccup asked nervously.

"Get down on the ground and I'll show you." Gobber said. "Astrid, show Hiccup what a plank(1) is." Astrid lowered herself to the ground with Hiccup and assumed a position, her forearms flat on the ground and her body supported on her toes.

"See that? How her back is nice and straight? I could eat my dinner of there if I wanted to." Gobber said as Astrid sat back on her knees, waiting for the actual session to start. "Now then, I've always believed the best way to learn is by doing. So Hiccup. Copy what you saw and I'll pick you apart as we go. We'll start with 30 seconds and see how you do. Astrid, you know what you need to do." Astrid nodded and got back into the same position and Hiccup copied her. Almost immediately Gobber was onto him.

"Lower your bum Hiccup. No, not that far. Good. Stay there. Bring your elbows directly under your shoulders. Lock your knees out." Hiccup did his best to do as Gobber said, but barely 10 seconds in and he was starting to shake. "Right. That'll do. Rest." Came Gobbers call and Hiccup sank onto his stomach gratefully. "Looks like you've got some work to do Hiccup." He said. "Now then, what was the last thing I told you after that first session?" Hiccup thought for a minute before answering.

"Do things right or not at all." And Gobber nodded, pleased with his answer.

"Exactly. This applies to everything you do here. Whether it's running, stretching or this." Hiccup nodded as the big man checked his watch. "3, 2, 1, up." And Hiccup went back up on his elbows and toes. And so the session continued, Gobber calling out for Hiccup to lower his bum, or lock his knees out, and letting him rest when he started to shake. Then the coach threw in some variation, getting Hiccup to repeat the plank movement on one arm, facing sideways(2). By now Hiccup's stomach was on fire, muscles he didn't even know existed, he was suddenly very aware of. Then, just to increase his suffering, Gobber threw in a torturous combination of sit ups, leg raises and a particularly painful exercise he called a 'bicycle'(3). Whenever Hiccup glanced over at Astrid she seemed to be in her element, moving through the exercises he was doing, with some extra complicated movements added in, her plank was solid and unwavering, and Hiccup found a new element of respect for his old crush.

"_How the hell is she doing this so easily?" _He thought to himself as he lay on the ground, stomach cramping and sweat dripping off his face. But he didn't have time to ponder it too much as Gobbers voice interrupted his thoughts again and he pulled himself into another set of sit-ups.

* * *

><p>"Right. That's it. You're done for the day." Gobber clicked his stopwatch and Hiccup dropped to the ground after finishing his final plank, groaning and trying to ease the tightness in his stomach. Astrid picked up her towel off the ground and wiped her face, finally showing some sign of exertion, slightly red and huffing lightly as she walked over to Hiccup and extended her hand.<p>

"Up you get Haddock. Let's go." Hiccup took her hand gratefully and she pulled him to his feet.

"Next time, maybe you could try and not make me look so bad?" Hiccup gasped as his stomach tightened up again.

"But it's fun watching you suffer." She replied, grinning at him.

"You have a sick sense of humour."

"Oi, lovebirds. Come on, I need to close off the track." Gobber called at them from the gate.

"But we're not-" Hiccup began. "You know what. Nevermind."

* * *

><p>(1) A plank, otherwise known as a bridge, is a stomach exercise, demonstrated here: wp-content/uploads/2012/05/plank_483x350_

(2) Side plank is pretty self explanatory, but again, here's a pic to give you an idea: /wp-content/uploads/2013/05/side_plank_5800_

(3)

On a side note, planks and all the other stuff are great for your stomach if you ever feel the need to give it a go. A quick google should get you on your way.


	17. Chapter 17

A few days later and Hiccup was leaning against a wall outside the college cafeteria, waiting to wish Astrid good luck before the start of their finals. Astrids human anatomy test was due to start in half an hour but Hiccup had to wait until later that afternoon for his engineering exam. Glancing around he spotted her walking towards him and stood up straighter. Or at least as straight as he could, considering.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked him as she got closer, seeing that he was standing with a slight hunch.

"I'm fine." He answered her. "Just, still very sore from that core session."

"Where are you sore?"

"Here, here and here." Hiccup said, pointing at various parts of his abdomen. Astrid leaned forward slightly, studying him with a curious expression, and Hiccup wondered what she was doing. He found out when she started poking his still-tender stomach.

"Ow! OW!. What are you doing?" He cried as he crossed his arms in an attempt to ward off her fingers.

"Rectus abdominis, external oblique, external intercostals, serratus anterior." She mumbled, punctuating each comment with a poke.

"What? English Astrid, please."

"I'm doing some last minute revision." She said apologetically, as she straightened up and looked at him.

"Could you do some revision that doesn't involve poking me?" He asked, still grimacing slightly.

"No no, I'm done. That was just some impromptu stuff and a good excuse to poke you." She replied, grinning at him.

"Jeez Astrid, fair warning next time. Please." Hiccup ran his hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of something else to say. "Are you ready for your test?" And Astrids smile dropped a little.

"I think so. I've done all the studying I can, got my sleep, now I just want it to be over." She sighed, rubbing her temples.

"You'll be fine." Hiccup said weakly, slightly annoyed with himself that he couldn't think of anything more appropriate to say.

"I know. I just hate the waiting."

"Hey, I've still got another 4 hours before my exam. I'm going to be sitting in the library worrying myself sick."

"You? Worrying? Please Hiccup, you're you. You'll be fine. The only person who could do as well as you on an exam is Fishlegs." Astrid said, taking a breath. "Speaking of Fish, where is he?" Hiccup checked his watch before he answered her.

"He's about halfway through his own exam by now. He was in the early round."

"Lucky boy. Wish I was halfway through my exam. Ruffnut?" Astrid asked.

"Doesn't have hers for a few days yet as far as I know. But I'm sure Fishlegs has her covered." Hiccup said, laughing a little.

"Yeah, I'm sure he does." Astrid murmured, and Hiccup put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Hey. _You'll be fine_. It's only an exam." He said, and he was surprised at the conviction in his own voice. Astrid was silent for a moment as she thought about what to say, but she came up with nothing, so instead she punched Hiccup on the arm.

"Ow! What? _Why _would you do that?" Hiccup asked. "I'm sore enough without having to add a dead arm into the equation."

"Biceps brachii." She said quietly, and Hiccup couldn't help smiling a little as they both remembered his little show in the library. "That was for coming here and seeing me off when you should be studying.." And then, as he was still rubbing his arm, she stepped forward and embraced him. "This is for good luck. And for having _me _covered." Hiccup flushed and raised his arms awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Eventually he returned the embrace and patted her on the back. After a while they separated and Astrid took a deep breath.

"Okay, I can do this. Might as well get going I suppose." And she smiled at Hiccup again as she started walking towards the examination room. Hiccup waved as she left, but remained where he was for a while, still shocked that he'd actually gotten a hug from Astrid.

_"Come on Haddock, it's just a hug. Yeah but it was a hug from Astrid. Oh my god man, snap out of it." _He thought to himself. "_Apparently I'm still not over her."_ Then, shaking his head, he headed off to the library to pass the time until his own exam.

* * *

><p>Hiccup dumped his bag unceremoniously in the corner of his room and plopped onto his bed, sighing with relief.<p>

"Finally. Done. Over. Three months off now." He said, his voice muffled by his pillow. He raised his head and peered over the edge of his bed as he felt something wet. Toothless on the floor, licking his hand.

"Hey bud. How's it going?" Toothless stopped licking and answered him with a _woof! _"Good to see you too. Sorry I haven't been around lately. But finals are over now, so I'll be spending some more time with you. Might even ask Gobber if I can bring you down to the track to watch us train." He was answered with a fluffy wooshing sound as Toothless swept his tail over the ground. Groaning, Hiccup pushed himself up off the bed and walked out to the kitchen, Toothless' uneven gait following softly, he opened the fridge and peered inside.

"What do I want to eat..." He muttered to himself, humming tunelessly. "What's this?" Pushing a few jars and tupperware containers aside, he let out a quiet shout of triumph. "Ah-ha! That'll do, I knew we had some leftovers." Straightening up, Hiccup kicked the fridge door shut as he turned away to pull a fork out of the cutlery draw before casually leaning back against the counter, eating the leftover lasagna straight out of the container.

"Good thing mom's not home huh bud?" He said to Toothless, who was sitting patiently at his feet, staring intently at the container of food in Hiccups hand. "She'd be on me faster than I could blink. '_Henry Haddock! I have plates and bowls in this house, I expect you to use them!'" _Hiccup mimicked his mother as best he could through a mouthful of food, Toothless showing little interest in his antics as he still sat on the floor, although his tail was now trailing back and forth across the floor as he grew impatient at not being included in the afternoon meal. Hiccup noticed this and grinned.

"Oh you want something do you?" He said, moving the lasagna around in the air and watching his friends eyes follow its path eagerly. Still grinning, Hiccup took a slow, deliberate mouthful, pulling a face and moaning loudly.

"Mmmmmm. It's sooooo good bud. If only you could taste this." Toothless was not impressed, now up on his three legs, tail wagging faster and faster as he let out a bark. _WHOOF!_

"Nuh-uh. Mine. I earned it. I just sat through a three hour exam while you've been home sleeping and being lazy." Hiccup spoke, still chewing and shaking his head. But Toothless had had enough. Bouncing off his front paws, he balanced on his one remaining rear leg and put his paws on Hiccups chest.

"Ah-ha. Hey, that's cheating!" Hiccup cried, as he raised the box of food above his head to keep it away from Toothless, who began licking his owners face with great big, sloppy swipes of his tongue.

"Eughhhh. Toothless, that's just playing dirty. Allright. Down. Down!" And Hiccup stepped forward, throwing Toothless of balance. Toothless recovered quickly and faced Hiccup again, barking. Hiccup wiped his face on his shirt before conceding defeat.

"Allright allright you big baby. Here you go." Scooping out a forkfull of lasagna, Hiccup flicked it at his friend, who caught it in his mouth and settled down happily to eat, and Hiccup grinned at the sight.

"Always have to have the last word don't you?"


	18. Chapter 18

"-so I was wondering if you wanted to come and have dinner with me. I mean _us_." Hiccup stuttered over the phone one night, soon after finishing his exams. On the other end of the line was Astrid, whose silence was the current reason for Hiccups nervousness, seeing as he had just rung her to offer his congratulations on passing finals, and also ask her if she wanted to have dinner with his family. The post-finals dinner was a Haddock family tradition, ever since Hiccups highschool finals, his mother and father had taken to treating him to a rather lavish dinner at the end of each period of teaching. However they had also turned into quite the family affair, and since Scott "Snotlout" had begun his apprenticeship under Stoick, he and his father Steve "Spitelout" had been in attendance as well (Hiccups grandfather had seemed to have a thing for starting his sons names with S), so as much as it was a celebration of Hiccups academic prowess, it was also a rather loud and raucous night as Stoick, Steve and Scott ate, drank and generally enjoyed themselves. This year Hiccup had decided to throw caution to the wind and ask Astrid to go with him, at least then he'd have someone to talk to, and there'd be another lady besides his mother present. Lost in his recollections of last years celebrations, Hiccup almost missed Astrids reply. In fact he wasn't even sure he had heard her right anyway.

"Did you just say that you would come?" Hiccup asked, double-checking that his ears weren't faulty.

"Yes Hiccup." Astrids voice said patiently in his ear. "I said I'd come. But on one condition." Hiccup could almost see her grinning at him.

"And _what _might that be?" He said cautiously.

"You have to agree to come with me and race at a meet interstate in two months time."

"WHAT? But. Astrid. I can't do that! I'm nowhere near good enough. I've only been training for six weeks as it is." Hiccups was flustered and flattered at the same time as Astrid spoke.

"And in that time you've improved remarkably. Look. Gobber knows you where half-decent before you started with him, and I never told you this, but he wants you to stick around. He thinks you have potential. So this meet will be a good test to see how you're coming along."

"But. Still, I-"

"Come on Hiccup. It'll be fun. It's just you, me and Gobber. You only have to do the 200 metres, maybe the 400 if you want."

"But Gobber's only had me doing 40 metres remember?" Hiccup said, sure that would seal the argument.

"You'll be fine. There's some endurance payoff from the speed work you've been doing. I'm sure Fish could explain the details to you. Look, just come. Please? It's no fun when it's just me. I can only put up with Gobber for so long. " Hiccup pouted for a moment, he hated to disappoint Astrid, but he really wasn't sure of himself. But he did want her to come to dinner with him...

"Fine. I'll come. I've got a little bit of money saved up from some other stuff."

"Yessss. Thank you Hiccup. You won't regret it. It's going to be fun, I've been before." Hiccup couldn't help smiling at the excitement in her voice.

"Okay, but we need to get through this dinner first." He said over the phone.

"Oh come on, how bad can they be?" Astrid asked.

* * *

><p>"AND THEN THIS HUGE PIECE OF FIBREGLASS FELL OFF THE SCAFFOLD AND MISSED HIM BY <em>THIS <em>MUCH!" Scott, Steve and Stoick roared with laughter that filled the restaurant, tears of mirth streaming down their faces as Scott recounted a seemingly amusing accident that had occurred at the boat yard. His father was doubled over, slapping the table with his palm, while Stoicks huge chest bobbed up and down as he laughed. Valka was politely scanning the room, wondering when their orders where going to arrive, and Hiccup was red with embarrassment, fighting the temptation to slide down his chair and under the table out of sight. Astrid simply cocked an eyebrow at Hiccup and spoke to him quietly.

"He hasn't changed has he? I don't see how someone almost being crushed by a piece of fibreglass is amusing." She said, and Hiccup shrugged one shoulder and raised his hands in an "I don't know either" gesture.

"Welcome to the Haddock family post-finals dinner." He muttered dejectedly.

"But this is supposed to be celebrating your results isn't it?" Astrid asked, a puzzled look on her face. "So why is it more of a bellowing contest?"

"That's just how they are I suppose. And the result celebrating comes later. Don't worry about that." Meanwhile Scott had calmed down enough to speak again, and he wasted no time in engaging Hiccup in a rather loud conversation.

"So little cuz, how's college life treating you? Are you getting into any major house parties? Have you scored yet? Tell me there's some good looking babes at that college of yours." Valka stopped her perusal of the restaurant to glare at Scotts audacity to raise such a topic in public, and Steve had the decency to scold his son.

"Sorry dad." Scott said, not sounding even the slightest bit remorseful. "I've already had that question answered. _How _in seven hells did you, Fishbone, manage to score Astrid Hofferson?" Astrid sat up a little straighter and stared daggers at Scott, and for a moment Hiccup was struck by the similarities between her and his mother as his gaze switched nervously between the two women.

"_Hiccup, _did not _score me. _Scott." She said, her voice dangerously low. "He just happens to be a good friend and asked me to come to dinner with him to provide some more pleasant company. And I said yes." Scott mouth fell open a little as she spoke, not quite understanding how his dorky little cousin could have been on speaking terms with someone like Astrid. He looked as though he was going to say something else, but the combined looks of his aunt and Astrid were enough to warn him that it would have been an unwise decision. Shrugging, he instead restarted his conversation with Stoick about some detail or another of the last year of his apprenticeship. Stoick had taken on an air of wariness at his nephews attitude towards Hiccup and Astrid, seeing as he was secretly hoping that they would eventually be a little more than friends, but decided not to pursue anymore unsavoury topics, instead answering Scott in a tone of voice more suitable to a dining environment than his previously thunderous laugh.

"I am so, so sorry about that." Hiccup said, as the air around the table relaxed a little. "I had hoped he might have matured a little. Maybe shown a little tact."

"Don't worry about it." Astrid said, although she was still a little tense. "I can't say I was expecting much. Besides, you're much more pleasant company." Hiccup blushed a little as she continued. "You don't dress up too bad. Nice outfit." Hiccup glanced down at what he was wearing, some graphic singlet underneath an unbuttoned black plaid shirt, coupled with a decent pair of jeans he kept for outings like this one. He had tried to neaten his hair, seeing as he was going out to dinner with Astrid, but with no luck. His hair still had a messy, unkempt look about it, but it did compliment his overall look rather well.

"Um, thanks." He said, still blushing. "I don't really like suits, so this is pretty much my definition of dressing up." Then before his courage left him, "you look beautiful too. I've never seen you with your hair down." And Astrid beamed at him. Her hair, freshly washed and brushed, was not held back in her regular braid, instead falling naturally over her shoulders and down her back. She had actually been rather picky about what she had chosen to wear, knowing full well that Hiccups parents were going to be present. Eventually she had gone with a simple blue dress with shoestring shoulder straps, she liked the dress, since her mother always told her it brought out her eyes and showed off her curves. Heels weren't Astrids strong point, so some simple black leather flats had been sufficient.

"It feels good to do something like this every now and then. Makes a nice change from running gear." She said.

Astrid sparked up a polite conversation with Valka about her work at the zoo while Hiccup left to go to the bathroom, and a little later as he sat back down, a group of waiters approached their table and the mood lifted slightly, everyone eager to begin eating. As the various dishes were placed in front of their respective customers, Stoick stood up, clapping his hands for silence.

"Oh dear. Remember how I told you that celebrations were coming?" Hiccup muttered to Astrid, who nodded. "This is it."

"A toast!" Stoick called, raising his glass, and everyone but Hiccup mimicked him as people in the restaurant looked over at their table, wondering what the noise was. "To Hiccups outstanding, top of the class results in his final exams for the year!" And the table cheered and took a drink, Astrid looking at Hiccup and smiling as she tilted back her glass. Then to everyones surprise, Stoick continued. "And to Astrid, for her equally outstanding, straight A's across the board!" Hiccup joined in this round of cheers enthusiastically, and Astrid blushed at the attention, before everyone settled down and began eating, Steve and Scott digging in with particular gusto.

"Officially we haven't got our results yet you know." Astrid said in a hushed whisper.

"I know that. But he's probably right about them anyways." Hiccup answered, winking at her.

* * *

><p>The rest of the night passed in relative comfort, with no further remarks from Scott, and Astrid and Hiccup were able to relax and enjoy the feeling of being study free for the first time all year. Later on the group left the restaurant, well fed and looking forward to a good nights sleep, Steve stopping on the way to his car to give Hiccup a hug and shake his hand.<p>

"Congratulations Hiccup." He said, his voice equally as deep and strong as his brothers.

"Thanks Uncle Steve." Hiccup replied, a little confused at his uncles attitude.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier, with Scott. I have been trying to get him to be a little more polite, and I had hoped that working under Stoick would straighten him out a bit. But it's hard to keep tabs on him when he's not living at home anymore."

"Oh, it's okay I guess Uncle Steve. I'm kind of used to it." Hiccup said.

"Still. I am hoping he improves a bit soon." And with that, Hiccups uncle took his leave, getting into his car and driving off. Much to Hiccups surprise Scott took a moment to shake his hand, mumbling something unintelligible, before putting Hiccup in a quick headlock and rubbing his knuckles on his head.

"OW. Come on Scott, lay off." Hiccup muttered, and Scott released his grip, clapping Hiccup on the shoulder before leaving.

"Wow, was Scott actually sort of...affectionate?" Astrid asked as she walked up to Hiccup.

"I think he was." He replied, before looking over at her. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

* * *

><p><strong>There we go. Hopefully you guys liked it. To be honest, I only have a slight idea about where I'm going with this plot, I'm literally writing it as I go. There might be something developing in Astrid and Hiccups relationship soon, but for now I'm enjoying seeing them in these sorts of friendship situations. <strong>

**Also, I was most certainly not expecting this fic to do as well as it has. Maybe it isn't doing well compared to some others, but for me it's been pretty good. The fact that 6500+ people take the time to read my work is a really nice thought, especially since I only started this on a whim. If there's any particular plot points you guys want me to try and work in, let me know and I'll do my best to come up with something that satisfies you.**


	19. Chapter 19

"WHAT THE FUCK HICCUP! THAT'S BULLSHIT! NO WAY YOU JUST DID THAT!" Tuffnuts voice came from upstairs, loud and clear, as Fishlegs and Hiccup sat on Fishlegs' couch downstairs, Toothless was curled up, head on Hiccup's lap. The two boys had Xbox controllers in hand and were playing some game called Halo that Ruff and Tuff had brought over to play. The twins were upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms with their own Xbox, playing a linked game with the boys in the living room, currently Tuffnut was in a bit of a mood because Hiccup had pulled of some miracle kill, which Tuff was clearly not expecting, seeing as he considered himself a professional at this particular game.

"SORRY TUFF. I'M JUST THAT GOOD!" Hiccup called back, and Toothless raised his head at Hiccups voice, before deciding nothing interesting was happening and going back to sleep. "It's probably more like beginners luck." He said to Fishlegs as they focused on the split screen in front of them. "I've never actually played this before."

"You pick things up pretty quickly." Fish replied. "You always have, your running, your ability to talk to Astrid, now this game. Oh. Shit." Fishlegs cursed as a grenade attached itself to him and blew up, killing him as Ruffs laughter echoed down to them.

"I still get nervous around her sometimes to be honest. But what we have now, whatever it is. It's comfortable, and I like it." Hiccup took a shot, and more expletives sounded from upstairs, this time from Ruffnut. Hiccup didn't have time to gloat though, as his on-screen character was violently yanked backwards and knifed by another player.

"HA! GOT YOU HICCUP! SUCK IT!" Tuff called, as Hiccup raised his head and peered at the ceiling.

"Does he have to be so loud and rude?" He muttered. "He's almost as bad as Scott. And that's saying something. Mind you though, Scott was pretty bad the other night."

"Sounds like it." Fish said, "but at least Astrid was there to keep you company. And from what you said, his dad's trying to straighten him out."

"Yeah, there was a moment at the end of the night when I thought he might even have feelings." Hiccup said, recalling Scotts very out-of-character behavior as they had bid each other goodbye.

"Scott Jorgenson. _Feelings?! _No." Hiccup laughed a bit at his friends answer, but stopped as his phone buzzed on the arm of the couch. Putting down his controller, Hiccup glanced at the screen before swiping it and answering.

"Good morning milady. How can I help?"

"Hi Hiccup, sorry about this, mom and dad are out for the day and I needed to babysit Jack." Astrids voice came through the speaker as Toothless' keen hearing picked up her voice and he let out a bark. "And hello Toothless. Wait, why is he at Fishlegs' house?"

"Fish doesn't mind. And don't worry about it, I was wondering where you were actually. You know you could probably come over anyways. Everyone's here. Just bring Jack and we'll keep the noise down." He suggested.

"I don't know, he's never really been out except with mom." She sounded a little worried, so Hiccup tried to reassure her.

"Hey, Fishlegs is studying to be a teacher, it'd be good practice for him. And Toothless is great with kids."

"How do you know that? He's never met anyone but you and Fishlegs." Astrid said.

"Because he's my dog." Hiccup gave his friend a belly rub as he continued. "Okay, how about this. Come round, we promise to keep the noise down, and if Jack gets upset, I'll take you both home."

"That sounds like a good idea. I hate staying home by myself. Mom should be home by the time we have to go to afternoon training, but I can ask her to pick him up from Fish's house so we can go."

"Allright then, how are you getting here?" Hiccup asked, glad for the opportunity to have all his friends in the same place again.

"I'll catch the bus. I can carry Jack."

"Are you sure? I can come and pick you up."

"Hiccup please, I can take care of myself."

"If you say so. Text me when you get on the bus, and I'll see you when you get here."

"Will do. See you soon." Hiccup clicked off his phone and set it back down, exchanging it for his controller again. It was a moment before he noticed Fishlegs looking at him with a grin and raised eyebrows.

"_Milady?" _He said.

"What's wrong with that?" Hiccup asked.

"Since when do you call Astrid, 'Milady'?" Fish asked, his grin getting wider.

"Um, since the first night she came to my house. It sort of slipped out and I went with it, since she didn't seem to mind."

"There's got to be more to it than that."

"Nope. That's it Fish." Hiccup said, pulling the trigger on his controller again, working on getting some points back that he'd lost while he was talking to Astrid. On his lap, Toothless groaned in his sleep, and Hiccup took it as a sign of agreement. "See, even Toothless says so."

"Wow Hiccup. You might get nervous around her every now and then, but you're at a stage most people would kill to be at with Astrid Hofferson."

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"You can call her nicknames without her threatening to beat the crap out of you. That's a major achievement. You've already had lunch with her, thanks to your awesome friend here." Fishlegs said, looking rather pleased with himself, "You've had a couple of study dates and you're going to be spending almost a whole week alone with her when you two go racing." Hiccup conceded his friends argument had some truth, but he stuck firm.

"Look, Fish. I don't know what these 'stages' are that you're referring to. Astrid and I are just friends, good friends. She said so at dinner the other night."

"_And she came to dinner with you!" _Fishlegs cried. "Hiccup, come on, you two are something more than 'just friends'."

"Fish." Hiccup began, his attention still on the TV. "Remember what Astrid said the last time you talked a bit too much?" Fishlegs' smile fell almost instantly, and he too returned his attention to the screen as Hiccup allowed himself a small smile.

"I still say you're something more than friends." Fishlegs muttered, and Toothless huffed, this time Fishlegs claimed his agreement. "Thank you Toothless."

* * *

><p>About an hour later the doorbell rang, and Hiccup got up to answer it, letting Astrid in.<p>

"Hey, come on in." He said, sweeping his arm in a welcoming motion.

"You're such a gentleman." Astrid said as she entered the house, Jack held in a bundle of blankets in her arms.

"No trouble on the bus ride over?" Hiccup asked, as she shrugged off her backpack and he took it from her.

"I told you, I can take care of myself."

"Right, sorry." He led her into the living room where Fish was still playing games, but he glanced up at Astrid, a questioning look coming over his face as he spotted the bundle she was carrying.

"What's that?" He asked, and Astrid feigned a look of insult.

"_That, _is my baby brother Jack." She said, and she sat down on the couch so Fish could get a better look.

"Aww, he's so tiny. How old is he?"

"About 7 months now" Astrid said. Jack had begun to keep the small amount of hair that was appearing on his head, which was developing into the same blonde as Astrids, and his eyes were flickering all over the place as he tried to register all the new faces that were currently invading his field of vision. Hiccup went to pick up his controller, but stopped when Ruff and Tuff walked in from upstairs.

"We heard the doorbell. Who's h-. Oh, hey Astrid." Tuff said, and Ruff veered off into the kitchen to look for something to eat.

"Hi Tuff." As Tuff got closer, he too noticed the bundle of blankets, and peering over her shoulder, he looked down at Jack, who stared right back at him.

"Whoa, you had a baby? Did Hiccup knock you up? Hiccup, why didn't you tell me you devilish rogue." The twin said. Hiccup sputtered and turned bright red as Ruff came screaming in from the kitchen, a haphazardly made sandwich hanging from her mouth, and she immediately launched into a verbal tirade, which was difficult to decipher as she spoke through her mouthful of food.

"Ashtrid. Wot the fffuck? 'Oo didn tell me you weh pregnen'. Oo' didn look pregnen' too me." She would have continued, but luckily some form of karma intervened and she began coughing and choking on some bread that went down the wrong way. Tuff walked over to her and started slapping her, none-too-gently on the back, and Astrid took the opportunity to speak.

"Serves you right. No, I didn't look pregnant because I _wasn't _pregnant, funnily enough. And Tuff, Hiccup did not _knock me up. _Jeez man, where do you get your vocabulary from? And please, don't swear in front of my baby brother." Ruff straightened up, her airways now clear, and Tuff went back over to the couch where he picked up one of the discarded controllers and began the campaign on Halo. Hiccup meanwhile, was still very red in the face, and Fishlegs was too busy playing peekaboo with Jack to notice much else. Now that things where cleared up, Ruff decided to get in on playtime too, and approached Jack.

"Can I hold him?" Ruff asked Astrid, who nodded, and gently handed her brother over to Ruff, who was surprisingly good with the baby. A lot of cooing and ga-ga-ing went on before Jack took an interest in one of the braids that framed Ruffs face, and gave it a tug, giggling happily.

"Ouch! Why you little-"

"Ruff!" Astrid began warningly, and Ruff settled for grinding her teeth as she tried to ignore the pain from the braid-pulling. Gingerly, she put the baby down on the couch, where he released her braid, deciding that Toothless was a much more interesting playmate. Astrid watched a little apprehensively as Jack approached the three legged dog, ready to grab him away if he accidentally pulled too hard on Toothless' fur, but her fear was unfounded as Jack crawled into the little cove created by Toothless curling up in the corner of the couch, and settled in comfortably. Toothless looked at Hiccup, as if waiting for an explanation as to what this tiny, furless puppy was doing, making itself at home in his fur.

"Toothless, that's Jack. Astrids baby brother. Play nice." Hiccup said gently. Toothless barked softly, and licked the baby on the head a few times before he put his own head back down, curling up a little more and closing off Jack until all that was visible was a little patch of blonde among the soft black fur.

"See? Told you he was good with kids." Hiccup said to Astrid quietly, picking up the TV remote and turning down the explosions and gunshots so as not to wake Jack.

"Never doubted you." Astrid replied.


	20. Chapter 20

The majority of the day passed in relative relaxation. Ruff, Fishlegs, Astrid and Hiccup were all in holiday mode after finals, and Tuffnut was still in his permanent-until-further-notice holiday mode. A mismatched lunch made with the assorted ingredients the gang had dug out of the fridge followed Astrid and Jacks arrival, and later on Astrid found herself next to Ruff on the couch as Hiccup sat on the floor playing with Jack and Toothless. Fishlegs in the kitchen cleaning up and Tuffnut asleep in one of the armchairs. As she watched Hiccup play with her brother, encouraging him to crawl and sometimes drag himself along on his butt, nudged along by Toothless, she felt emotions inside her that she'd never experienced, let alone given a thought to. Strange feelings of longing and want, of desire and need for contention and happiness with her life. Sure she was happy now, she was passing college with flying colours, she had good friends and a stable family. But these feelings ran deeper, it was almost like,

_"Holy shit I am **not** thinking about motherhood right now." _Astrid shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. Ruff noticed and looked at her.

"Something wrong Hofferson?"

"No, just trying to clear my head." Astrid replied, which was half true.

"He's a natural at this." Ruff said, indicating Hiccup.

"Yeah. Yeah he is." Astrid said quietly, still slightly lost in thought.

"Come on Astrid. Something's on your mind. Spit it out." Ruff said, blatant and to the point as usual. Astrid was silent as she contemplated answering, before deciding against her better judgement.

"Do you ever have thoughts of motherhood?" The look on Ruffnuts face almost made her laugh. Ruff was staring at her like she'd grown an extra head, mouth open, eyes wide, clearly not expecting the mighty, infallible Astrid Hofferson to be thinking about _those _sorts of things._  
><em>

"I'm sorry. Repeat that for me please?"

"You know, have you ever thought about the fact that you might want kids later in life?"

"Are you sick? Did you eat something bad? Was it that cheese you put on your sandwich earlier?" Ruff put the back of her hand against Astrids forehead, checking for a temperature. "You're not overly hot. Are you going crazy?"

"Come on Ruff, the only reason I asked you is because you're a girl, and I can talk about these sorts of things with you." Astrid asked, pushing her friends hand away.

"Jesus Christ Astrid, no I haven't had these sorts of thoughts. Too busy keeping up with uni and dealing with all of Tuff's crap."

"Sorry. Random thought." Astrid said in an undertone, keeping her gaze on Jack and Toothless, who was now mimicking her brother and crawling along on his belly, tongue lolling out of the side of his jaws. She could feel Ruffnuts eyes burrowing into the side of her face, scrutinizing her for any physical signs of insanity.

"I tell a lie." Ruff murmured, and Astrid looked at her. "Sometimes I do have those thoughts, but usually they're immediately buried underneath more pressing problems. Like grades."

"I get where you're coming from. I mean, this is actually the first time I've had these thoughts. I'm usually always preoccupied with training, or studying. But now that I think about it, I suppose kids is something I'd consider. After I've done what I want to do with running. And gotten a steady job."

"That sounds more like you." Ruff said, as Fishlegs re-entered the room and took up residence in the one remaining arm chair. "But you know it takes two to make a baby right?" and she looked meaningfully at Hiccup.

"Running and grades Ruffnut. Running and grades." Astrid muttered.

* * *

><p>A while later, after Tuff had woken up and Jack had eaten his mid-afternoon meal, Astrids mother arrived to pick him up. Astrid gathered up all of the various nappies, baby food bottles and bibs that accompanied Jack wherever he went, and packed them away. Her mother was engaged in conversation with Fishlegs and the twins, Toothless weaving in and out of their legs when Astrid reappeared, Jack in her arms, his backpack of accessories slung over her shoulder.<p>

"Thank you dear, I'm sorry I had to leave him with you today. He's just still a little too young to come into the school with me, and the office insisted that I go in and sort a few things out for them." Her mother said, as she took Jack from Astrid.

"Mom. It's fine. He's my brother as well as your son." She said, rolling her eyes at her mothers constant apologies.

"Point taken."

"He's just had his mid-afternoon snack, he had a nap earlier and Hiccup and Toothless have been keeping him occupied." Mrs. Hofferson lowered herself to the ground to give Toothless a grateful head rub and scratch behind the ears, and was straightening up when Hiccup appeared from a room further down the hallway.

"Ah, this must be Hiccup." She said, smiling at him.

"Yes ma'am, that's me. Actually my real name is Henry, but nobody ever calls me that." Hiccup said, sticking out his hand, which Mrs. Hofferson shook gently.

"A pleasure to finally meet you Hiccup, Astrid rarely stops talking about you. Which do you prefer, by the way? Henry or Hiccup?"

"Hiccup, to be honest ma'am."

"Sorry for asking. Teachers habit. And please, my name is Emma." Hiccup nodded politely as Tuff spoke up from behind Emma.

"Well, this is lovely and all, but I need to be at work in half an hour. So we'll be heading off now. Cheers for having us over Fish. Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Hofferson." Ruff grunted and nodded, already halfway towards the door. A chorus of goodbyes followed the twins out before Mrs. Hofferson turned around again.

"Well I suppose I should be going as well. You two have training soon, so I'll leave you to it. Are you okay to get home tonight Astrid?" She asked, and Astrid nodded.

"Yeah mom, I'm sure Hiccup here will give me a lift." And she jabbed Hiccup lightly with her elbow, causing him to wince and rub the bottom of his ribs.

"Yeah, it'll be my pleasure Mrs. Hofferson. Emma."

"Don't let her be too rough with you Hiccup." Mrs. Hofferson warned. "Before you know it she'll have you as her personal chauffeur. With no pay."

"Mom!"

"That's my cue." Mrs. Hofferson laughed and headed out the door, stopping to turn back briefly and let Jack wave at the young adults still in the entrance hall. As the sound of a shutting door and a revving engine faded, Hiccup turned and looked at Astrid.

"On that note, we should go too. I don't want Gobber annoyed at us for being late."

"No, that would definitely not be a good start to the session. Let's roll." Astrid declared.

"I'll catch up with you later Fish." Hiccup said to his friend. "Next get-together is at my place."

"Oh good. I'm running out of food here." Fishlegs looked wistfully back down the hall in the general direction of the kitchen, and Hiccup laughed.

"I'll do some shopping for you as thanks. How's that?"

"Oh I couldn't accept that." Fish said.

"Then I'll do some shopping for you out of the goodness of my heart." Hiccup replied as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket.

"In that case, I accept." Fishlegs answered. Hiccup laughed again and whistled, and Toothless trotted out the door and jumped into the back seat, which Astrid held open for him, before shutting it and getting into the passenger seat herself. Fish and Hiccup waved at each other as Hiccup slid into the drivers seat and drove off, beeping his horn as he left.


	21. Chapter 21

"Knees higher Hiccup. Higher, _higher, HIGHER!" _Gobber's massive, booming voice carried across the whole track as Hiccup decelerated after the end of another 40 metre sprint, slowing down gradually before turning and walking back to his start point.

"You're looking good, your stride length is good, foot placement is much better than it was a few weeks ago, and I just like yelling at you to get your knees higher." Hiccup put his hands on his hips as he walked, registering Gobbers feedback and trying to slow his heart rate at the same time.

"Why am I not surprised that you like yelling?" He asked, and Gobber grinned through his beard and moustache.

"Perks of being a coach. Do two more of these, then go back to your drills for 15 minutes or so. On this one, focus on your start, Drive hard, let your foot fall naturally and just focus on bringing that trailing knee forward as fast as possible." Hiccup nodded his acknowledgement and crouched down, ready for Gobbers call.

"Take your marks. Set...GO!"

* * *

><p>As Astrid walked around aimlessly at the start line, shaking her legs between sets, she looked up and noticed an observer in the stands. As she looked for a little longer, she could see that they were sitting next to Toothless, who was tied up to one of the seats, where he sat on patiently, observing all the things going on around him. She was surprised that Toothless was not reacting at all to the stranger, until closer critique revealed details like a rusty-coloured beard, broad shoulders and a massive figure.<p>

"Stoick!" She called out, waving at him. The figure waved back, and Toothless barked, which caught Gobber and Hiccups attention.

"Keep on with your drills." Gobber said, and Hiccup just turned away and began his high-knee drill as Gobber wandered over to the stands.

"Those sets aren't going to run themselves Astrid." Gobber called as he passed her, and she shrugged and crouched, mimicking Hiccups movements from earlier before beginning her run. Meanwhile Gobber had reached the stands and taken a seat next to Stoick as though the two of them were back in grade school, taking seats before a school assembly.

"You look like you've gotten soft in your retirement." Gobber said, deliberately looking at Hiccup on the other side of the track, now going through another drill.

"And you're butt ugly with that stupid beard and moustache of yours." Stoick answered, equally impassive. A moment of silence followed before neither of them could keep up the facade any longer, smiling as they shared an embrace, clapping each other on the back.

"Good to see you Gobber." Stoick said.

"And you." Gobber answered, leaning over to give Toothless a scratch under the chin.

"So. How have you been in the eight or so years since I saw you?" Stoick asked, settling back on the stand.

"Right as rain Stoick. I've still got my two remaining limbs, and that's something."

"Of course. I should have expected as much. How long have you been here? At the academy?"

"About 8 months now. I got here just before the second semester started at the college. I'm here officially as the 'athlete development program manager'."

"Fancy title for a slack job."

"Eh I've got my work cut out for me. They've really cracked down on the athletes that they accept into the program here, so only those who've actually got the basis and the potential for elite performance are the ones that make it to me."

"So how exactly did my son manage to get into this program?" Stoick asked, his attention now fully on his old friend.

"Officially he's not in it yet. He's just been training with me."

"I thought you said they'd cracked down on those they accept."

"They have. But Hiccup's a special case. I've done a bit of talking and this meet we're going to in a few weeks time will be the decider on his future here. There are some proper top-class athletes there, not that he knows yet. So it's going to be his testing ground."

"And is it wise to send him to something this big so soon?"

"From what I've seen of your son Stoick, he'll be fine. He's going places."

"Really? But he always seemed so...disinterested in things."

"Well maybe he's found something that he's interested in." Stoick stayed silent as he looked back out over the track, Hiccup was back into his sprints, and Astrid was still running.

"Are you referring to the running or the girl?" He said finally.

"Maybe both. I don't know the details of their relationship, but she Astrid was the one who brought Hiccup to me. Told me she found him running between goalposts on a football field."

"Well fancy that. Not that you heard it from me Gobber, but she's good for him if you ask me. Up until mid-year he only ever talked to Fishlegs and spent time with Toothless here."

_woof_

"But now? He's like a different person, he's spending a lot of time with Astrid, his old friends from highschool are back in town, it's amazing."

"I'll be interested to see how they get along with each other on this trip." Gobber mused.

"Actually I've been thinking." Stoick began.

"_Never _a good idea." Gobber interrupted.

"Shut up. Since he's going away on this, apparently major trip. Maybe I should get him something. He's only been running in those sneakers of his hasn't he?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"Should I get him some proper track shoes?"

"It would be a good idea. Might make a world of difference. And it's always nice to spoil your son every now and then. After all, you've got to do something with all that money you're making with your little shipyard business."

"Well I know nothing about running. I always preferred to muscle things, pick up the stone, throw it. I'll have to ask around about these shoes."

"Just take him into the sports store and take Astrid too. She knows what she's looking at. And you know as well as I do that there's technique to throwing a shot put. It's the same with running, just different technique."

"That's a bit of an oxymoron isn't it Gobber?"

"That's a bit of a big word for you isn't it Stoick?"

"...Good to see you again too."

* * *

><p>Hiccup glanced over at the stands where Gobber sat with his father, wondering why he was down at the track. He looked over at Astrid for some sort of information, but she was too busy doubling over and heaving in air as she crossed the finish line. Shrugging to himself he decided that he'd find out later and went back to his drills.<p>

"Knees high, support leg straight, foot cocked." He said to himself. That particular phrase seemed to have become his mantra over the past weeks.

* * *

><p>After finishing his final set of sprints, Hiccup picked up his towel and water bottle and made his way over to the long jump runway for his cool down stretches. Toothless stood up against the gate, trying to poke his head over with Stoick leaning casually beside him, the fence looking like it was going to buckle under the weight of the enormous man. Hiccup put his legs out in front of him and touched his toes, allowing himself a feeling of satisfaction at the fact that he could now actually touch his toes, instead of his shins.<p>

"You've improved." Astrid said as she joined him on the ground, performing the same stretch, except for the fact that her fingers reached all the way past her feet, leaving the middle of her palms supported on her toes. "But you're still not as good as me." Hiccup stuck his tongue out at her cheekily.

"Allow me this small victory, please Astrid. I can't beat you in much else, at least let me feel as though I have a chance here." He said, straining to get a few extra millimetres out of his hamstrings.

"Here, let me help you." Gobbers voice came from behind him and Hiccup barely had time to stutter before groaning in pain again as Gobber put his foot on his back and pushed. "This is becoming a habit of ours Hiccup." The coach said cheerfully, tapping his foot on Hiccups back, who was too busy grinding his teeth and scrunching up his face in pain to answer. Astrid laughed at Hiccups expression and stood up, holding onto the fence with one hand and grabbing her ankle with the other to stretch out her thigh.

"Try not to break my son in half please Gobber." Stoick said as Toothless shifted over to be closer to Astrid at the fence.

"I won't break him. I'm just making him more flexible." Gobber replied, although he relented and took his foot off Hiccup, who sat back with a sigh of relief, taking a moment before he stood up and winced slightly as his hamstrings unwound, facing his father,

"How come you're down here?" He asked.

"Oh I just wanted to catch up with Gobber." Stoick answered easily. "I haven't seen him for almost 10 years you know."

"Mhmm." Hiccup answered, following Astrids lead in the stretching. Toothless shuffled along on his rear leg again and put his head on the fence besides Hiccups hand, and the boy gave his dog a friendly scratch behind the ears.

"Thanks for letting Toothless stick around too Gobber." Hiccup said, remembering that he should thank his coach, seeing as animals weren't usually allowed on training grounds.

"Not a problem Hiccup. I told them that if there was any sign of trouble from him then he'd be out. But he looks very at home sitting in the stands here."

"How are you getting home dad?" Hiccup asked.

"I drove. Knocked off work early to come down."

"Is that a good idea? Shouldn't you be supervising Scott?"

"He's fine. His father had a word to him after dinner that night, and I've been on his case lately, so he won't be any trouble. And he's got a good supervisor while he's under me."

"Are you referring to yourself?"

"No. Well, yes. I _am _his boss but since he's only an apprentice, he has other more experienced workers supervising him most of the time." Hiccup shrugged in reply as he shifted into another stretch.

"On that note, I should be heading home now. Your mother wanted me to pick some stuff up for dinner. I'll see you at home. Gobber, we'll have to arrange to meet up again after work one night."

"Good idea Stoick. I'm curious to see how if you still hold your liquor as well as you used to." Gobber said, although the challenge in his voice was unmistakable.

"Ah Gobber, I have a family now remember? I can't go around getting blind drunk like I used to. As much fun as it was." Stoick laughed.

"True. I don't drink that much anymore myself."

"Maybe just a friendly catch up then." Stoick said as he stuck out his hand.

"Agreed." Gobber replied, shaking his friends hand.

Hiccup and Astrid finished their stretching as Stoick left, and they walked off the track together, down to the gate and back up to where Toothless was waiting patiently. Calling out a goodbye to Gobber, the three of them followed Stoicks route out into the carpark and got into Hiccups car to being the drive home.


	22. Chapter 22

***I just want to clarify some potential timeline issues. The college/uni system I've got going here is based on the Australian one, so the teaching periods start and end in February/June and August/November. The gangs finals would have been mid November, at the start of the week, celebration dinner a day or two later. Then Astrid and Jack showed up at Fish's house a few days after, maybe a Friday or Saturday. And Gobber and Stoicks conversation was the week following. This chapter takes place in the week leading up to Christmas. Astrid and Hiccups race meet will take place just after New Years. Christmas' in this particular fic are white ones. Or at least cold and brisk. Which is much nicer than the heat and rain we have to put up with in Australia.**

* * *

><p>And so the next month or so passed in relatively the same manner. Astrid and Hiccup training regularly, then spending their free time with each other or with Fish and the twins, and they regularly rotated who's place they got together at. Valka and Stoick were more than happy to let the group have free reign of the house under the condition that nothing was broken and nothing happened that could result in a pregnancy. Fishlegs' house was the unofficial favourite, the two storey design allowing for more intense and vocal Xbox matches. Astrids house was also two storeys, but Jacks need for calm ruled out that option. Currently, it was a few days before Christmas, and Hiccups house was the gathering point. Astrid and Hiccup were teamed up in another firefight against Ruff and Fish, Tuffnut was sitting this one out while he ate the spoils of his latest raid on the pantry. The twins had insisted that two screens made for better viewing and less screen cheating, so they had somehow managed to haul an extra TV over to Hiccups house and connected it up to a free power outlet in the spare bedroom.<p>

"Quick Astrid. Duck. No, click in that thumbstick. Good. Watch out, he's right ther-. Nevermind." Hiccups monologue cut short as Astrids soldier took a bullet to the head and the killcam took over her screen.

"What the hell was that? Where did he come from? This controllers faulty and this game is stupid." Hiccup grinned and Toothless looked up a from his place on the floor as Astrid ranted on about the unfairness of it all. Hiccup was still too busy laughing to notice the armour-clad figure drop down from behind him and snap his neck on screen.

"Ouch." Hiccup grimaced, as the replay slowed down the shot again for all to see.

"Game, set and match." Fishlegs called from the bedroom, and shortly after, he and the twins walked out and picked an empty space to occupy in the rather lavish living room. Ruff in one of the armchairs, Tuffnut on the ground next to Toothless, scratching the dogs head, and Fishlegs taking up residence in another of the spare armchairs.

"Wow Hiccup, you're dad's got it made." Ruff said as she took in the large area. A huge flat screen TV with a lot of letters in its name occupied most of the nearest wall, while some photos of Valka and the animals she worked with adorned another. Stoicks various shot put trophies and medals were also given a spot.

"He's worked hard for it though." Hiccup said after heading into the kitchen and bringing back out a carton of juice and some glasses, which everyone helped themselves to. "There was a time during grade school when he was barely at home, staying back late almost every night to do some work on some rich guys boat or another."

"Wasn't he a shot putter before?" Tuff asked, eyeing a particularly large trophy depicting a figure midway through a shot.

"Yeah, apparently he was. That was before I was born though."

"You're going to have some medals to put up there soon." Fish put in.

"Fish come on man. It's a nice thought, but this is only a New Years meet. Nothing spectacular is going to happen." Hiccup laughed, _"although it'd be pretty cool if something did happen." _He thought to himself.

"You don't know that for sure." Astrid said absent-minded as she flicked through the channels on the TV. Hiccup pondered the thought for a moment, but before he could answer, Fish spoke up again.

"Has anyone got plans for what they're going to do next year?" There was a groan from everyone in the room, even Tuff joined in.

"Fish. Dude. It's almost Christmas. Can't we just enjoy the holidays for being the holidays?"

"I've only got one year left on with my base Sports Science degree." Astrid said, still looking at the television screen. "So I'll finish that then maybe take some time off. Decide if I want to specialise in anything or not." Fish nodded sagely as he waited for everyone else to answer.

"I suppose." Hiccup began. "I'll keep on with this engineering degree."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic." Fishlegs said, his face falling sllightly.

"Meh." Hiccup shrugged, and Fish decided not to pursue the subject, instead directing his next question towards Ruffnut.

"What about you Ruff?"

"Sticking with this teaching degree." The female twin answered.

"Never would have picked you for a teacher." Hiccup said.

"Never did pick you for a runner." And Hiccup had to acknowlege that she had won this round.

"Shit happens I guess." Meanwhile Astrid was still looking at the TV, but she spoke up regardless.

"Hiccup, what size foot are you?" She asked casually, ignoring the looks of surprise and curiosity she got from everyone else in the room, Toothless let out the canine equivalent of a groan and nudged Tuffs hand, irritated at the interruption to his head massage.

"Uh, size 9 1/2 US." Hiccup replied. "Why?"

"No reason." She said, staring intently at the screen.

"Why are you asking Hofferson?" Ruff said. "Big feet big d-"

"-on't you dare finish that sentence." Astrid finished for her, throwing a pillow at her friend. Ruff laughed and ducked, popping back up again unfazed as her brother leaned over and held out his hand for a high five and a fist bump, which she obliged.

"Actually, science has proven that there's no significant link between foot size and pe-"

"FISH!" Astrid and Hiccup shouted at the same time, determined not to hear the rest of whatever it was Fishlegs was about to say. Ruffnut was still laughing, and this time she was the one to offer Fish a high five, and he returned it awkwardly.

"Smooth Fishlegs. Real smooth." She said.

"You've been corrupting him." Hiccup said, looking at her. "Too many study sessions."

"Hey, he said it without any prompting from us." Ruff said, holding up her hands and indicating herself and Tuff, and all Hiccup and Astrid could do was look at each other and shrug.

* * *

><p>"Merry Christmas!" Stoick and Valka chorused as Hiccup walked out of his bedroom on Christmas day, Toothless groggily following behind him.<p>

"Same t'you-ou-ou." Hiccup yawned, not entirely awake yet.

"Here son, I wanted to give you this before you left this afternoon." Stoick held out a gift-wrapped box, and Hiccup inspected the small card that came with it.

_"To Hiccup,  
><em>_Good luck when you're away._

_Love, Mom and Dad."_

"Don't we usually wait a bit for presents?" Hiccup asked, although his curiosity was piqued.

"Well, yes." Valka said. "But we wanted to give this one to you together." And she motioned impatiently for him to open it. Hiccup obliged and tore open the wrapping paper, raising an eyebrow at the shoebox, but saying nothing. Then he opened the box itself and

"Whoa."

"Do you like them?" Stoick asked eagerly, almost bobbing up and down like he was the one receiving the gift.

"Yeah, I love them. They look awesome." Hiccup answered as he pulled out a pair of brand new track shoes. Jet black with deep crimson laces and edges. Several small metal spikes, less than a centimetre in length, jutted out from the bottom of the shoe, right where the ball of Hiccups feet and his toes would sit.

"We got you some other spikes too. They screw out so you can put different lengths or styles, depending on which ones feel the best." Stoick said.

"Even I didn't know that. You've done your homework." Hiccup said absentmindedly, pulling on one of the shoes and swinging his foot around. "It doesn't feel like I'm wearing a shoe."

"Astrid said that's the main point." Valka told him. "They're supposed to be light so as your foot isn't weighed down. Or something like that."

"You two consulted Astrid on this?" Hiccup asked, surprised that they'd managed to do it without him noticing.

"Gobber had some input too. But yes, Astrid was the biggest help." Stoick was rather chuffed that he had managed to keep this a secret from his son.

"That would explain why she was asking me for my foot size the other day. That could have ended very differently. And how come you guys didn't know my foot size anyway?" Hiccup asked.

"Parents are marvelous things Hiccup, but keeping track of your foot size is not high on our priority list." Valka answered as he took of the shoe and carefully put it back in the box before stepping forward and giving his parents a hug. Toothless squeezing his way in a moment later, nudging between the jumble of legs with a whine.

"Thanks guys."

"Well Gobber did say I should spoil you every now and then." Stoick said, smiling at his son.

"And it's nice to see you getting into something." Valka offered, giving Hiccup a light kiss on the cheek.

"I'll have to thank Astrid later too." Hiccup said to himself.

"Have you got everything packed? All your clothes and track gear?" Valka asked.

"Yes mom. The flight's not till two o'clock this afternoon. I've got ages."

"Good." Said Stoick, clapping his hands together. "That leaves time for a hearty Christmas breakfast." And Toothless immediately ran off to the dining table with an excited yip.


	23. Chapter 23

"Merry Christmas." Hiccup said as he approached Astrid outside the airport later that day.

"Merry Christmas to you too." She replied, giving him a quick hug. "How's your day been so far?"

"Good. Even better now." He grinned, something about Christmas, Astrid and hugs making him rather happy.

"You look happy. Are you ready?"

"Sure I am. Slightly nervous too, but mostly excited."

"That's how I was before my first meet interstate too." Astrid said. "Doesn't get much easier, but you get used to it." She took her attention off Hiccup as she took in Stoick and Valka standing behind him, Toothless on the other end of a leash held by Valka, and displaying a mix of emotions, pining for Hiccup but excited by the atmosphere of the airport. Seeing her, Toothless strained at his leash, barking to draw her attention, and Valka smiled and walked forwards to allow him to get closer to her. As he approached, Astrid bent down and gave him a scratch under the chin while rubbing his head and he relaxed a little, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth while Hiccup gave his parents a final hug and picked up his bag. Astrid stood up and exchanged pleasantries with Valka and Stoick while Hiccup said goodbye to Toothless.

"Be good bud, you hear me? I'll only be gone for about two weeks." Toothless whined again, hearing the note of goodbye in his masters voice, and he shuffled closer, rubbing his head against Hiccups shoulder. Hiccup put him in a weak headlock and rubbed his back affectionately. "I'll miss you too boy. Don't worry, Astrid's going to keep an eye on me for you." Touching foreheads with Toothless, Hiccup paused for a moment before standing up and squaring his shoulders.

"Guess I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks then." He said to his parents.

"Good luck son." Stoick said, looking rather proud.

"Stay out of trouble. And have fun." Valka replied, and Toothless contributed to the conversation with a _woof! _Waving one last time, Hiccup and Astrid turned away and headed into the airport to check in.

* * *

><p>The flight was rather empty, seeing as it was Christmas day, and as soon as the plane levelled out, Gobber, seated in the window seat, an empty row of chairs next to him, pulled out a face mask and slipped it over his eyes, settling in for a nap during the flight. Hiccup sat across from him in the middle aisle of seats, Astrid next to him, and he made a face at the sight of Gobbers frilly mask.<p>

"Old habit of his. Athletes are supposed to try and sleep when they can during travel. Although I'm not sure about black satin and pink lace." She told him, answering his unspoken question and giggling slightly.

"When your mother gives you things. You hang onto them, no matter how horrible they look." Gobber muttered from under his mask.

"Whatever you say coach. But I'll stick with music and some shades instead." Hiccup said, pulling out his Ipod and some cheap sunglasses.

"Look at you Mr. Cool." Astrid laughed, taking the sunglasses of him and trying them on for herself.

"Hey, they were cheap." He argued, although he made no move to take them back.

"Here, gimme one." Astrid motioned to him, and Hiccup complied, handing her one of the earpieces.

"Don't you have your own music?"

"Yeah, but I wanna see what sort of taste you have." Hiccup shrugged at her and swiped the music player, flicking through the list of songs.

"Gimme gimme." Astrid wiggled her fingers at him, waiting for him to hand it over.

"Kind of demanding today aren't you?" Hiccup said, one eyebrow raised.

"It's Christmas. I can do what I want." She answered, and he chuckled as he surrendered his Ipod. Astrid hummed to herself as she sorted through the library of songs.

"Not bad Haddock. The Killers, Green Day...although Beyonce' and A Day To Remember seem to be on opposite ends of the musical spectrum don't they?"

"I haven't deleted any songs of that thing since I got it a few years ago."

"Sure sure. Just trying to cover up your secret love of Queen B." Astrid said as she selected "Halo" and locked the device.

"Says you, picking one of her songs." Hiccup replied.

"She's a good singer." Astrid answered, closing her eyes.

"Do I get both earphones back?"

"Nope." Hiccup sighed, shrugged and decided to deal with it, picking the in-flight magazine out of the back of the chair in front and flipping it open, linked to Astrid by their shared earpieces.

* * *

><p>Hiccup woke after the flight attendant shook him lightly, kindly telling him that they were beginning their descent and that they had to fasten their seatbelts. Taking a moment to register where exactly he was, he noticed the magazine splayed over his lap, the earpiece was missing, there was something on his shoulder. Looking across, his vision was obscured be a mass of shiny blonde hair, and it took Hiccups sleep addled brain a second to work out that Astrid had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Almost reluctant to wake her, Hiccup nudged Astrid gently.<p>

"Hey. Wake up."

"Nnng. Wazzup. What's happening." Astrid drowsily raised her head and looked around. Startled at the closeness of Hiccups face, she stopped and stared at him, and Hiccup took the opportunity to explain.

"We're landing. Buckle up again. And you may need to wake Gobber." He said, nodding at their coach with his face pressed against the window. Gobbers mask had come askew sometime during the flight and it now sat comically on his face, half off, covering one eye and half his mouth. Astrid stifled her laughter and leaned across the aisle, jabbing Gobber none-too-gently in the ribs.

"Oi. Coach. We're landing, buckle up." Gobber woke with a start, the poke in the ribs causing him to jump reflexively. Disoriented, he cast a glance around before his gaze settled on Astrid and Hiccup, casually fastening their seatbelts. Gobbers retort was reduced to a few muttered words of annoyance as the pilots announcement came over the speakers.


	24. Chapter 24

**I just realised that I never really set out a proper setting for this story and I'm so sorry for that. God that's embarrassing to realise 23 chapters into a story. Jesus. I suppose it's too late now to go back and redo everything so as you guys have a name for the town that this is taking place in. I'm assuming that the majority of people who read this will have a college/university and a football pitch near them, so it's still relatively easy to imagine and interpret. ****Very late notice, I know. But the town Astrid and Hiccup live in is modern day Berk. The academy by default is then the Berk Academy. Again, I'm so sorry for that rookie mistake, and I hope it doesn't affect your enjoyment of this story.**

* * *

><p>The next morning, after checking in to a reasonably decent motel and grabbing a makeshift dinner from the nearest 7Eleven, the trio woke and headed to the track to look at the venue they'd be racing at. Astrid and Gobber leading the way, Hiccup following behind. The motel was a 10 minute walk from the track, Gobber had insisted that it was easier and cheaper than hiring a car, and told Hiccup that "aspiring athletes don't usually get luxury accommodation. So get used to it." Hiccup wasn't complaining, as long as there was a bed to go back to at the end of the day, although he was a little confused at Gobber referring to him as an 'aspiring athlete'. When they got to the track they found it was already open and there were quite a few other athletes already there and practicing, some running warm up laps, others going through the motions of their various throwing or jumping events. For the first time Hiccup felt a little out of place as he looked around, noting the air of professionalism that these other competitors exuded.<p>

"You okay?" Astrid asked, noticing his expression.

"Feeling a little, uh, awkward here." He gulped.

"You'll be fine. You have just as much right to be here as they do." She said, walking back to him and nudging him forward. Hiccup looked at her, saw her casualness and the ease with which she fit into a place like this, and he tried to mimic some of her confidence as he walked out onto the side of the track and put down his gear.

"Wasn't I reassuring you before exams?" He said, trying to relax a little.

"Yes you where. But this is what I do best, and I think you can do it pretty well too. So just go with it."

"You're only here to keep yourself switched on and mobile today, seeing as you flew in yesterday." Gobber's voice came from somewhere behind them and they turned to see him walking towards them from the field office, where he had been talking to the groundskeeper. "The track is open from 8am till 5pm every day until the meet, so we can train as usual."

"We're still training?" Hiccup asked, a little thrown by this news.

"Yes Hiccup. We're still training. The point of coming here a week early was for you to become accustomed to this new track and the atmosphere." Gobber replied, walking out and facing them. "So let's go. Warm up stretching, then into some drills. We'll finish with a few 40 metre sprints. You're favourite." Hiccup nodded and sat down to begin his stretches, grateful for some sort of routine to follow. Despite his nervousness, he tried to focus on doing tings properly, but he couldn't help but feel as though everyone was watching him, trying to figure out who he was and why he was here. He and Astrid went through their separate routines before lining up on the track for their drills. Suddenly Hiccup was very conscious of how he looked, going through running 101 in front of all of these seemingly elite people, and it threw him off.

"Hiccup. Look at me." Gobber said after a few minutes. Hiccup stopped what he was doing and looked at his coach. "You're nervous. I get it. I was before my first meet, Astrid was before hers, everyone's the same. Where people differ is how they deal with that nervousness. Don't let it get to you. As Astrid said before, you have just as much right to be here as they do." Hiccup took a deep breath, held it for a while, then let it out, nodding as he calmed himself down.

"Got it Gobber. I'll be okay."

"Good. I know you will."

* * *

><p>After the session, the three of them returned to the motel for a shower and some down time. Gobber was sharing with Hiccup and Astrid had her own room. Gobber had given the two of them some free time, so Astrid had volunteered to show Hiccup around the area and they were currently exploring the local mall.<p>

"Whoa this place is huge." Hiccup said in awe as he looked up and surveyed the armada of shops, eateries, cinemas and gaming arcades he was standing among.

"It's pretty cool. Way bigger than the one back home." Astrid spoke as she looked around and tried to remember where things where. Hiccup didn't say anything as he was still looking around, the mall extended for at least 150 metres in either direction, and the five storeys looked a lot bigger when you were inside.

"Anything in particular you want to look at?" Astrid asked, and Hiccup closed his mouth as he looked back at her.

"Nah. I'm quite happy just wandering around for now." He replied, and Astrid nodded her agreement as the two of them began an aimless walk around. After window-shopping the first floor, the moved onto the second, composed of mostly eateries, however they had eaten at the motel so the bypassed that level. The third floor consisted of an arcade, and they spent a while playing various games and poking fun at each other. Eventually Hiccup decided he wanted to save the top floors for later on in the week, and they began the walk back to the motel. Hiccup was a bit more relaxed now and Astrid started up a conversation.

"Some fancy shoes you had back there."

"What? Oh, yeah, mom and dad got me them for Christmas." He replied.

"Do they fit properly?"

"Yeah, they fit fine. Actually, dad said that you had a fair bit to do with that."

"Oh, well your dad asked me about track shoes, and I showed him a few options on the internet and stuff, but he bought them himself."

"And got my foot size from you." Hiccup said, watching Astrid for her reaction.

"Well, he told me it'd be embarrassing for him to not know his own sons foot size, so he uh, asked me to figure that out for him." She said.

"I don't even want to ask how that conversation came about." Hiccup shuddered. Then he continued. "Why did you agree to help him? You've really only met him a couple of times." To his surprise, Astrid blushed a little and didn't look him in the eye as she answered.

"Well…he said he wanted to do something nice for you, and I agreed that it'd be nice. That's all."

"Well, thanks. And thank _you _personally." Hiccup said, smiling at her.

"Don't mention it." Astrid replied, although she was still not looking at him, and there was silence between the two of them as Hiccup thought of something else to talk about.

"So you've done this sort of thing before?" He asked finally.

"Yeah, this is the third year I've come here actually." Astrid looked relieved to talk about something different, and she visibly relaxed a little. "It's a good test for anything later on in the year. But at the same time it's an opportunity to race for the fun of it."

"There's no competition for you here, surely."

"Actually there is. There's this one girl, Heather Novak…she's my main sort of, 'rival'. We're pretty even when it comes down to it and we usually one/two whenever we race. I won last time. Although she beat me at the national invite last year. That was actually just before I transferred into the Berk academy."

"She sounds pretty good, if she can challenge you." Hiccup mused, looking around.

"I can still beat her if I try." Astrid said, feigning insult.

"I'm sure you can."

"Actually there's one boy who might show up to this meet that you should keep an eye on." Astrid continued.

"Mhmm?"

"A kid called Daniel Isles. He's really quick, and he's been looked at a few times by the national scouts."

"Sounds pretty intense." Hiccup said.

"He's good, but his attitude isn't anything special, which is why he's never been selected. One of those prodigy types." Astrid said with distaste.

"You don't sound too impressed."

"Because I'm not. I don't dislike people with natural talent, I dislike people with natural talent who abuse it. He's got a massive ego problem, he's even been got a nickname like 'Deranged Daniel' or something like that. Of course since he's never been picked for the national team, he gets even more arrogant and angry. He beats everyone, then rubs it in their face, so no-one wants to race him because he's just going to be an arrogant shit." Astrid's voice had risen over the course of her rant, and she was now close to yelling.

"Calm down Astrid." Hiccup said, stopping for a moment to grab her attention, and she looked at him sharply, as if suddenly aware of how loud she had been.

"…Sorry." She mumbled as they continued walking.

"It's okay. I suppose you and Gobber conveniently forgot to tell me that there were going to be such high level athletes here." Hiccup answered easily.

"Hey, do _you_ feel ready to race in a few days?" Astrid retorted.

"I'm here aren't I?"

"…Hey Hiccup?"

"Yeah?"

"If Daniel does show up to this meet, kick his ass." Astrid finally looked at Hiccup when she spoke.

"No promises. But I'll try." Hiccup said.

* * *

><p>Over the week leading into the new year and the meet, Hiccup settled into the new environment quite well, adjusting to his new temporary routine of training and exploring his surroundings. Astrid pointed out Heather when she showed up at the track the next day. A slim girl, roughly Astrids height, with raven black hair and equally piercing eyes, she gave off an air of superiority, which felt different to Astrids air of confidence. Heather payed little attention to Astrid when she saw her, while some athletes were shaking hands and catching up on the events going on in their separate lives, a simple nod was all the greeting she gave before resuming her own practice.<p>

"Lovely personality." Hiccup mentioned.

"She's focussed." Astrid told him. "Some might say too focussed."

Daniel also appeared at the track the day before the meet, and this time Hiccup had no trouble picking him out of the crowd of athletes that were now present. Daniel was slightly taller than Hiccup, dirty blonde hair and well muscled. Indeed he did seem like the typical naturally talented athlete, his shoulders were powerful, his torso was firm and his legs were long, with short, high calves. Perfect for the fast style of running that Hiccup was aiming for. But his face was set in a permanent sneer, as if he considered everyone present to be beneath him. When Hiccup lined up a few lanes across from him during the warm up for their final practice, Daniel simply looked at him like he was something that had become stuck on the bottom of his shoes before taking off on a 100 metre sprint, as if to show that he could run without any warm up and still beat everyone.

New years was a relatively quiet event this year, Gobber insisting that a good sleep was more important than staying up and celebrating. Finally the coach called Astrid into his and Hiccups room early, the night before the meet.

"Right, you've had time to get used to this track, and your forms are as good as they're going to get at this stage. You've had dinner I assume?" When both his athletes nodded, Gobber continued. "Then all that's left to do is for you to get a good night's sleep. So, clean your teeth, get ready for bed. Lights out in ten." As Astrid left the room, Gobber called Hiccup back for a private talk.

"Nervous?" The big man asked.

"Uh, yeah kinda. Not as much as I was earlier in the week though." Hiccup replied.

"Good. Hiccup, over the past few months you've been training with me, you've improved greatly. I was impressed with your form that first day, in fact I was impressed that anyone could teach themselves to run like that." Hiccup felt a bubble of pride well up in his chest as Gobber spoke, and he fought to keep a smile from splitting his face in half. "I have complete confidence in you for tomorrow, and while this is a friendly meet and I don't expect you to break records, I do think that you can put in a good performance, better than most of the other people here. Do you think you can do that?" Hiccup was silent for a moment as he turned thought about his answer, biting his lip before coming to a conclusion.

"I do sir."

"Good. Now off to bed with you."

* * *

><p><strong>My thought process for naming went something like this. Dagger of Berserker Island. Dagger = D = Daniel. Island = I = Isles. Daniel Isles. Close enough. I'm not very good with names okay?<strong>


	25. Chapter 25

**And finally, the day of our heroes race has arrived. **

* * *

><p>Despite what he had told Gobber the night before, Hiccup was a mess of emotions the day of his race. The track events were being held the first day, with throwing and jumping events the day after, which Hiccup was glad for as he was getting more and more nervous as his race approached. He thought that if he'd had to wait another day he would have suffered a mental breakdown. Astrid's 800 metre event was first up at 10am, with Hiccups 200 metres a few hours later at 1.30pm after the lunch break, and Hiccup watched Astrid closely as she went about her pre race routine. She woke up at seven, had a light breakfast, then tried to relax as much as possible before they left for the track. Despite her comment about racing for the fun of it, she was still quiet and serious as she walked and went through her warm up. Heather was at the track early too, going through her own pre-race before the track got too crowded. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric. This meet attracted the local population, eager to see old favourites, local heroes and the up-and-comers, and the new year coupled with competitive spirit and eagerness for a new racing season made the whole thing very exciting for those watching. Or very nerve wracking for those competing, as Hiccup scanned the start line for the womens under-21 race. Astrid was there in lane 4, Heather in lane 6. Between them was a local girl whose name Hiccup didn't catch, and the rest of the starters staggered across the lanes came from the various regions and surrounding states. Hiccup was tempted to call out good luck, but the look of complete focus on Astrids face warned him against it. Instead he settled back on his seat in the stands, Gobber on his left, someone else on his right. The crowd was cheering and yelling, but they quieted as soon as the announcers voice came over the loudspeaker.<p>

"Take your marks…Set…" And with a pre-recorded _BANG! _the athletes took off, and the stadium roared to life. Astrid went out fast, flying past the runners in lanes one and two, and by the end of the first 200 she was second behind the girl in lane three who was fighting hard. But she was fighting too hard, too early and Astrid caught and passed her just before the end of the first lap as the runners converged into bottom lanes, trying to reduce the distance they had to run as much as legally possible. The former leader faded fast and at 500 it was Astrid first, Heather second, with a five metre gap on third place. Hiccups heart was in his throat as he yelled and screamed and barracked for his friend, in contrast Gobber was silent, and his eyes watched keenly as they tracked Astrid down the back straight and into the final 200. Hiccup stopped cheering as he heard Gobber mumble to himself.

"Don't overstride, she's right there. Watch your knees Astrid, focus, focus, hold it, one hundred to go. Now kick. Go go go." And Hiccup watched in awe as Astrid found a final gear and her legs moved in a blur of motion, arms moving fluidly and in sync with her legs, and in her, Hiccup saw the the reason he had started running. The grace and power exhibited when a race was run perfectly, the form, the fluidity and everything he hoped to achieve one day, and when Astrid ran, Hiccup thought it was close to the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Heather chased hard, breathing through a snarl, but Astrid was too quick and she threw herself across the line, almost stumbling but managing to retain her balance as she came to a stop, doubling over, hands on her knees and sucking in air as fast as she could. Heather pulled up shortly after, also out of breath, as one by one the other girls crossed the line and collapsed in various states of exhaustion. After a while the two girls exchanged a handshake and a polite hug before making their separate ways off the track, Astrid making her way to the gate to find Hiccup and Gobber standing there waiting for her. Gobber looking quietly proud, Hiccup looking like it was Christmas again.

"That was amazing!" He cried. "You ran so well. No one could catch you!" Astrid managed a small smile, still out of breath, but Gobber was still in coach mode.

"Well done Astrid, now then. Go and warm down, I'll get Hiccup to bring you your water bottle. Go for a walk and then do some stretches." Astrid simply nodded, expecting this from the coach, and she wandered off to the back of the stands for a bit. Hiccup walked back to their seats to grab Astrids water before following her. Looking up from her stretching, she accepted the bottle gratefully, drinking from it before letting out a sigh.

"That's better." She said, before resuming her cool down. Hiccup stood around silently, not knowing what to do with himself, and after a while Astrid looked up again from where she was sitting on the ground. "Something wrong?" Hiccup jumped a little as he heard her talk, as if not sure who she was talking too.

"Oh. No, just thinking about some stuff."

"Do tell." Astrid replied, standing up and grabbing her ankle behind her back to stretch her quadriceps.

"I don't know if I should."

"Are you trying to sneak a peak?"

"_What? _No. No not at all. I would never." Hiccup said, shaking his hands to emphasize his point.

"I'm playing with you Hiccup." Astrid said, amusement in her voice.

"I knew that."

"Well spit it out."

"…I was uh, thinking that you ran like that the first time I saw you run." Hiccup admitted, staring at the ground.

"Awww. Are you getting soft on me?" Astrid finished stretching and picked up her water again.

"No...Is that a bad thing?" Hiccup asked, concerned.

"No. I like that about you. But in less than three hours you have a race too. So for now, let's go get something to eat, then you need to try and relax as much as possible." Hiccup nodded silently as he followed Astrid back into the stands to find Gobber. But he jumped again when Astrid whacked him lightly on the arm.

"You've got a bad habit of this sort of thing." Hiccup complained.

"That's for losing your focus so close to a race." Astrid said. Hiccup waited expectantly for a moment before answering.

"Isn't there supposed to be a 'and this is for…'?"

"After you race."

* * *

><p>Neither of the athletes ate much for lunch, Astrid not particularly hungry after her race, Hiccups nerves beginning to get to him again. Gobber tried to reassure him again, but this close to his event, Hiccup was too intimidated to really pay attention. Then suddenly it was 12.30, then 1 o'clock and the trio were back at the track again. It hadn't started snowing yet, but it was brisk and chilly, even at this time of day.<p>

"You might want to start your warm up now." Astrid suggested. "Because it's colder you need more time to get warm." Gobber nodded his approval and Hiccup began his now familiar warm up routine; arm swings, leg swings, stretches, particularly for his legs, before moving into his running drils. He didn't see Daniel out on the track yet, but he assumed that he would see him on the start line. There were several other boys warming up, and Hiccup glanced at them but didn't really pay much attention, too busy trying to keep mind on his own race. His warm up seemed to go by faster than normal and before he knew it, the announcer was calling all competitors in the mens under-21 two-hundred metres to the start line. A lot of cheering went up as the crowd heard the announcement, fresh from lunch, the stands were packed again, and although the 100 metres was the main drawcard, as it always was, this 200 metres was attracting almost as much attention. People had heard a national-level athlete was going to race and so everyone was in attendance, eager to see what this person had and how their local competition stacked up against them. As he stood on the start line in lane 2, Hiccup suddenly felt very exposed, the chill was biting into his skin, his running shorts and singlet not offering much protection.

_"Just get it over with."_ He thought. Shaking his arms and legs in an effort to keep them warm. He looked across the field in the middle of the track, looking for the start/finish line. _"Two-hundred metres seems so much shorter in the stands". _A glance across at Daniel in lane 5 was just in time to see him cast a disdainful look over the rest of the field. Hiccup and Daniel locked eyes and the latter sneered again, as if he was personally insulted that a nobody like Hiccup should even be sharing the start line with him. Hiccups heart was pounding in his ears so loudly he almost missed the announcers call for "take your marks."

Dropping to his knees, Hiccup put one foot behind him on the start blocks, using his fingertips for balance. Gobber had shown him this "three point start" a few weeks before, telling him it was the fastest way to begin a race, and because it was only the 200 metres, that he'd be allowed to use the blocks. Hiccup had practiced a few time with this new technique, and he was beginning to get it, but this was going to be the first proper test. The rest of the runners copied him, and there were eight of them, Hiccup and Daniel included, lined up for the start of this 200 metres. Hiccup dropped his head, waiting for the "set" call.

_"Come on." _He thought to himself. _"It must have been called by now." _

"Set" Hiccup straightened his legs a little, bringing his body up, tilting forward almost to the point where he fell over. Waiting...waiting. Was the crowd always this silent? His heart was racing and the gun hadn't even gon-

_BANG!_

And then Hiccup was gone. His back leg driving forward in sync with his front leg pushing backwards and he exploded forward, head down, holding his breath for the first 15 metres, focused on his stride and his arms only. Foremost in his mind was the crowd. They were so loud. Or was that his own heartbeat he could hear? Somewhere in his head, a little voice kept repeating _"knees, knees, knees." _As he brought his head up halfway through the corner leading into the second hundred, he took another breath and held it. The stands took up most of the background, but Daniel was in his peripheral vision, slightly ahead of him, and all Hiccup could really see was the white lines denoting his lane. The lines were bent slightly...still bent...then they straightened out and there was only a hundred to go. The crowd seemed to get louder as they came into the home straight, Daniel was still there, surely he must have pulled ahead even further by now. Hiccup was breathing in short, sharp intakes of air now, and he could feel his legs starting to burn, and all he could see was that finish line. Eighty metres. _knees. _70 metres. _knees. _60 metres. _Bring your leg forward faster. _50 metres. _COME ON! _30. _Where's Daniel? _20. _So close. _10. 5. Hiccup crossed the finish line with a gasp, having held his breath again for the last 15 metres and his legs carried him forward a few more paces before he mentally shut them off and came to a stop, all thoughts of form thrown out the window as he mimicked Astrids position from a few hours earlier and doubled over.

* * *

><p>Astrid was in the stands, bouncing her foot nervously as the men lined up on the start line. Gobber noticed and spoke to her.<p>

"What are you nervous for? You've run your race." Astrid spared him a glance before looking back at the start line.

"Yeah but this is his first race and I want him to do well. But Daniel's in there so he's going to have a tough time." Gobber was about to answer as the call came for "SET." and he too looked over at his second athlete. The crowd fell silent as everyone waited for the starting gun, then erupted to life as it sounded. Astrid jumped out of her seat, yelling incoherently and clapping. She watched as Hiccup came out of the blocks well, the staggered start meant that the people in lanes 7 and 8, further up the track might have started 'ahead' of Hiccup, but he caught them midway through the bend, having left the people in lanes 1 and 3 for dead. Like her own race, the boy in lane 4, between Daniel and Hiccup, held on until the halfway point, Hiccup overtaking him as the track straightened out and Daniel ahead of him. Astrid yelled herself hoarse as Hiccup headed down towards the finish line. If they had been in the same lane, Hiccup could have touched Daniels foot. As it was, Daniel put in a final lunge for the line, sealing his victory as Hiccup finished barely half a second after, but Astrid couldn't have cared less as she yelled and cheered and clapped for her friend.

"Which one is the national level athlete?" A voice asked somewhere beside her, and she looked across to see a lady speaking with her husband.

"I think the taller boy might be the national level one, but damn did that other lad make him work for it." The husband replied, although he didn't sound completely sure. Astrid looked at Gobber to see if he had heard them, but he was already out of his seat and halfway down towards the track. Astrid got up quickly and followed him, eager to congratulate Hiccup.


	26. Chapter 26

Hiccup straightened up, having finally recovered enough to be certain he wasn't going to pass out. Looking around at the other athletes who were now making their way off the track, he followed suit, heading for the gate, where Astrid and Gobber were waiting for him. Astrid was beaming, and, did Gobber look slightly proud? Deciding it was a hallucination due to a lack of oxygen, Hiccup shook his head and kept walking, shaking hands with the other runners and accepting their compliments with a polite nod. Daniel of course, simply strode right past him, not paying any attention, although when he took a second glance at Astrid on his way out, it annoyed him even more to see her give Hiccup an excited hug. Hiccup was busy trying to process what was happening, still not sure if he was hallucinating or not, but he spoke anyway.

"Um, so how did I do? Everyone is saying that I ran well but I don't remember much besides Daniel being in front of me."

"He was the _only _one in front of you." Astrid told him, still smiling from ear to ear. "You finished second, and it was really close too."

"Oh. Well that explains a lot of their compliments." Hiccup said, surprised by his result.

"You two are making my heart melt." Gobber's voice said, and the two young adults let go of each other as they realised he was still standing next to them. "But you did run well Hiccup, however you still need to go stretch and warm down. Hop to it."

"No rest for the wicked." Hiccup muttered so as only Astrid could hear, and she laughed a little before giving him a kiss on the cheek, at which point Hiccup lost all capacity for coherent thought.

"That's my 'and this is for'." She said.

* * *

><p>As both of them had run their races, Gobber gave Hiccup and Astrid the next day off to wind down. The throwing and jumping events where still on, but since neither of them were competing, they didn't bother going to the track. The two of them slept in the next morning, relishing the luxury of a training free day, then, leaving the snoring mass that was their coach, they treated themselves to a rather nice breakfast at one of the cafe's they had stumbled upon earlier in the week, before wasting most of the day back in the mall, spending more money at the arcade than what would normally be deemed appropriate. The night after was the presentation night, where all the competitors gathered back at the track to receive their commendations. Astrid received her first place medal for her win in the 800, standing at the edge of the field, facing the crowd as she was flanked by Heather and the third-place finisher, smiling for the winners photographer. However there was a fair bit of apprehension as the medals were called for Hiccups 200 metre event, everyone wanting to know which of the two boys who had run such a race was actually the rumoured national level athlete.<p>

"In third place, Joseph Hill." The crowd gave a cheer, Joseph was one of the local runners, running on his home turf. He shook hands with the announcer, smiling and waving at his family in the stands as he took his place on the dais.

"Second place, Henry Haddock." Astrid clapped and cheered as loudly as anyone in the stands as Hiccup walked out to the winners podium, and inside she was filled with pride and happiness for her friend, who still looked a little surprised that he was even standing out there. The lack of any further identification meant the air of apprehension was still present in the crowd as the announcer called the final medal.

"And finally in first place, as is to be expected of such a high caliber athlete, visiting national hopeful, Daniel Isles." The noise this time was louder, everyone applauding the winner, but in the stands, hushed conversations and exchanges of opinion took place everywhere.

_"Is the other boy a national candidate too?"_

_"It was a close race. Gave him a run for his money."_

__"I wonder where that Haddock boy is from?"__

_"Oh so that's him. __I would've picked it the other way around."_

_"Not much difference between them. I'd keep an eye on Haddock too."_

Hiccup scanned the crowd for his two friends, picking Astrids luminous blonde hair out of the sea of people in the stands, before shifting his attention back to the photographer who was kneeling in front of the dais, who was motioning for the three of them to face him. Hiccup quickly looked over at Joseph, holding out his hand in congratulations.

"Good race. Joseph was it?"

"Yeah mate. Hiccup right? Same to you. I've got some work to do if you aren't even a national athlete." Hiccup smiled graciously, moving to shake Daniels hand, but this time all he received was a stony look of ignorance as Daniel stared straight at the photographer. Joseph and Hiccup shrugged at each other before lifting up their medals and smiling as the camera flashed.

* * *

><p>The trio's flight home was the following morning, and Hiccup settled back in his seat with a sigh as they boarded.<p>

"Tired?" Astrid asked as she took her own seat next to him.

"Kinda. Sort of overwhelmed by this whole thing."

"I know what you mean." Astrid continued as she leaned back and closer her eyes. "It's a mixed bag of feelings huh?"

"Something like that." The conversation paused for a while as the plane took off and reached cruising altitude. Then sometime into the flight after breakfast, while Gobber was making use of the planes lavatory, Astrid caught Hiccup looking out the window, very lost in thought.

"Something on your mind?" She prompted. Hiccup looked over at her, still looking half dazed.

"Sort of." He said.

"Want to talk about it?" And Hiccup pondered for a moment before answering.

"...I don't know how to phrase it."

"Well if you change your mind..." Astrid left her sentence unfinished, letting Hiccup decide if he wanted to continue or not, and after a while he did.

"Astrid...What are we?" Astrid quirked her eyebrow, she had been expecting something about their meet or similar. As a result she was unsure of what exactly her friend was talking about.

"Uh, we're friends right? I sure hope we are."

"No we are. We definitely are." Hiccup hurried to reassure her.

"So what exactly are you saying?" She asked.

"Um, well I mean. Everyone keeps saying we're more than just...friends. I just wanted to know what you thought." He finished, looking her in the eyes. And for a moment, Astrid was lost for words.

"I...I. We're friends, definitely. Good friends." She said lamely.

"Okay then." Hiccup replied, looking back out the window, and Astrid paused for a moment before digging further.

"Why?"

"Oh, well I was um. Just thinking about how uh, you said that you didn't have a partner that time in the car. Because of your training commitments and stuff. And I was thinking that maybe, since we both train with Gobber, and go to the same college and stuff, and...nevermind." Hiccup said, looking at her then back out the window as he spoke.

"Go on." Astrid's voice came from beside him, and Hiccup took a breath.

"I was...wondering...maybe if, you wanted to...I mean if it's okay with you...didyouwanttogooutwithme?" He said hurriedly, jumbling his last words into an incomprehensible mess of speech, and Astrid almost laughed as she answered.

"Hiccup, slow down. Repeat that last bit again. Looking at me would also make it easier for me to understand you." Sighing to himself, the poor boy shifted his gaze away from the window and looked at the girl sitting beside him with an expectant look on her face.

"That race almost seems easier than this does right now." He said.

"And you did rather well at that didn't you?" Astrid replied.

"Phew. Okay then...Would you go out with me?" Hiccup said finally, feeling the heat rising in his neck and face as he waited. Astrid leaned her elbows on the arm rest between them and assumed a curious expression, like she was studying a particularly difficult section of text, and Hiccup felt his face get even hotter. If that was possible.

"Are you asking me this now because you're still running on endorphins? Or because you really mean it?"

"No. I really mean it. It's just, you said that because of your training commitments then you didn't have time for a partner. And I thought, since I'm training with you now, and rather enjoying it. And the fact that I've kinda had a crush on you since high school which I never really got over. I thought maybe you'd consider going out with me." Hiccup flushed and he was sure his face was on fire by now...

"You're cute when you blush." Astrid said, and Hiccup looked up at her in surprise.

"...I'm sorry?"

"I said you're cute when you blush." She repeated, not taking her eyes of Hiccup.

"Uh, sorry. Is this a-"

"Yes Hiccup. It's a yes. I will go out with you." Astrid grinned, settling back in her chair again, and Hiccup felt for sure that if he wasn't already sitting in a chair then his knees would have given way.

"Oh. Okay. Wow, great." He said, trying to make sense of what had just happened, he would have continued but Gobber chose that moment to reappear in the aisle and take his seat again, so instead Hiccup settled for looking back out the window, suddenly noticing how pretty the clouds where when seen from above. He felt like he'd just won a race instead of finishing second, and he couldn't stop a stupid grin from appearing on his face as he felt Astrids slender fingers gently intertwine with his.

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, it feels so good to have these two canonically together now. I can't thank you guys enough for giving me the inspiration to continue with this story. I honestly didn't know if it was going to happen. There were so many ways this "will you go out with me" scene could have gone, but I'm happy with the way it turned out, especially considering that I don't have any experience either writing or living this sort of thing. I had to fight the temptation to have more little cliche's, I was so tempted to put a proper kiss in here, but that's a different chapter now.<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

Gobber led the way off the plane, Astrid and Hiccup following behind him, now holding hands. As they reached the entrance to the airport, where both their parents where waiting, Gobber stopped and looked back at his two athletes.

"Right, you've got the rest of the week and the weekend off. Chill out, recover a bit, and I'll see you back at the track on Monday." The two of them nodded, and Gobber glanced down at their interlocked hands, saying nothing but smiling to himself as he walked out the doors, nodding to Astrids parents and shaking Stoicks hand. As he left, Astrid and Hiccup took his place, putting down their bags and pulling out their medals with prod smiles on their faces. Valka embraced Hiccup and Stoick clapped him on the back.

"Knew you'd do well son." He said proudly. Across from the Haddocks, Astrid was cradling Jack in her arms, while her mother and father looked on. After satisfying Jacks need for attention, she returned him to her mother and introduced her parents.

"Hiccup, Valka, Stoick, this is my mom Emma, and my dad Brandt. And my baby brother Jack." Brandt was a powerfully built man, slightly taller than Astrid, with the same blonde hair, he was tanned and well muscled from the long hours on the construction sites, but the protective air he gave of around his family hinted towards a gentle personality. He shook hands with Hiccup and Stoick and gave Valka a courteous hug. Hiccup had already met Emma and was quite fond of Jack, so he stood back while his parents introduced themselves to Emma and Brandt and cooed over Astrid's brother, who was now rather lively, taking in everything that was happening with wide eyes and an excited look on his face. Eventually the formalities were over and Hiccup and Astrid, both tired from their flight, were eager to get home and sleep. Exchanging a hug under the eyes of their silently approving parents, they headed their separate ways.

* * *

><p>Hiccup was almost knocked off his feet by Toothless as he entered his house. Toothless wasn't that much shorter than Hiccup when he stood on his hind leg, and the dog licked and slobbered all over every part of his master that he could reach.<p>

"Eugh, Toothless, come on. I want to go to sleep, not have a shower." Hiccup groaned, but Toothless ignored him, ecstatic to see his friend after almost two weeks.

"You wouldn't believe the pining and whimpering he's done since you left." Valka said as she entered behind Hiccup. "Slept on your bed, moped around and everything."

"But he's there every night anyway." Hiccup commented, wiping his neck of drool.

"True. But he's been worse since you left. Maybe now we might get some proper sleep." Stoick put in, last to step inside.

"Aww, you been keeping up the parents you big baby?" Hiccup said, scratching Toothless' chin. "Come on then." And with that he walked to his room, not bothering to change, and got into bed, Toothless curling on his feet again, and the two of them were asleep within minutes.

* * *

><p>Hiccup spent the next day at home, doing nothing except spending time with Toothless, enjoying the fact that he could sleep in again for now, and he took full advantage of it, not getting out of bed until shortly before noon. Then wasting the afternoon on the computer with Toothless keeping his feet warm, before a casual walk to the football field where Hiccups athletic potential had been discovered. He sat on the sidelines, recalling the events of the past few months while Toothless chased birds and rolled in the grass, and the three-legged canine ate very well that night, Hiccup spoiling him as his way of saying sorry for being gone for so long. The day after on Friday, he texted Astrid and took Toothless around to Fishlegs' house again, eager to catch up with his friends. He locked his car and entered the house to the noises of gunshots and explosions, a clear sign that the twins were already here and playing the ever-present Halo game. Fishlegs appeared from the living room, having heard a car pulling up outside, and he brightened at the sight of his friend.<p>

"Hiccup! Good to see you! When did you get back?" He said, walking out to greet Hiccup properly.

"Hey Fish. I got back on Wednesday. Spent all of yesterday sleeping in and hanging out with Toothless here." Hiccup replied, indicating his friend by his side. At Hiccups gesture, Toothless trotted off towards the living room which Fishlegs had just vacated, and a moment later there were cries of disgust and shock as he evidently jumped up on the couch and greeted the twins. Fishlegs and Hiccup laughed before Fish turned around, motioning for Hiccup to follow him. Ruff and Tuff were piled on the couch, Toothless crawling all over them amid yells of pain as he occasionally stepped on a particularly sensitive body part. Hiccup whistled and Toothless jumped off the pile of bodies, leaving the twins to extract themselves. After they had done so, and after grumbling and cursing quite a bit, Tuff was the first one to comprehend the fact that Hicccup was standing in the doorway.

"Fishbone! Good to see you man." He said, leaping up and slinging his arm around Hiccups shoulders. "Whoa, hey did you get like, wider or something? Because this used to be a lot easier." Hiccup shrugged, dislodging Tuff's arm.

"I dunno. Did I? You've been hanging out with me for the past 3 months, I would've thought that you'd notice."

"Yeah but you've been gone for two weeks now. And you were always just sort of, _there." _Unsure of what to say, Hiccup just took a seat in one of the wider armchairs, Toothless at his customary spot at his feet. At this point, Ruff sat up, still grumbling before she too noticed the new arrival.

"Oh, hey Hiccup. When did you get back?"

"Wednesday, about lunchtime. Been sleeping ever since." He replied easily, looking around for a spare controller. Tuff threw one at him and he caught it, pressing the button to join the game.

"So how did you go?" Fishlegs asked, taking his own seat, although instead of a controller, he picked up a textbook, and Hiccup looked at him exasperatedly.

"Good. Really good, I got second in the 200. And why do you have that out? We've got another month before college starts back up again." Fishlegs didn't look up from his textbook as he answered.

"Never hurt anyone to get started early." He said, trying to maintain his dignity, but Tuff just laughed as he rejoined the game too.

"I like the way you think Hiccup. We're rubbing off on you. What do you think? Team deathmatch? No wait, we need four people for that. Where's Astrid?"

"She'll be round soon. I texted her before I got here." Hiccup replied, not taking his eyes of the screen.

* * *

><p>About half an hour later, as promised, the doorbell rang and this time Hiccup got up to answer it.<p>

"Hey." He said as he opened the door to reveal Astrid standing there.

"Hey." She replied, smiling slightly, and Hiccup couldn't stop himself from breaking into a matching grin, and the two of them stood silently for a moment before Astrid spoke up.

"So are you going to let me in?"

"Oh, yeah right. Sorry." Hiccup flustered as he stepped aside, although he was still grinning slightly. Leading the way back to the living room, Hiccup took his seat again. Astrid followed shortly after, but not before dropping a ten dollar note in Ruffnuts lap, who looked up confused.

"Wha-? Is it raining money now? Is there a hundred up there? What's this for?" She said, looking around for the source of the mystical falling money, before her eyes fell on Astrid and Hiccup sitting in the same chair, Hiccup looking rather happy, and Astrid deliberately ignoring her gaze. Ruff's eyes narrowed as her brain worked in overtime, fitting the pieces together, and eventually it clicked and her eyes widened as she shouted.

"OH! YOU TWO ARE DATING NOW!" Hiccup cringed a little at the sudden loud noise, Toothless shot to his feet, Tuff dropped his controller and Fishlegs just smirked to himself behind his book as Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Clap clap Ruff. Took you long enough." She said, finally looking at her friend. Meanwhile Tuff was trying to catch up on current events.

"Who? What? Who's dating? What did I miss?" He said hurriedly, leaning over to pick up his controller.

"If I had to recite everything you missed idiot, we'd be here all day." Ruff said, not taking her eyes of Astrid and Hiccup. "Fishbone over there, is dating Hofferson. How did this come about?" She asked, switching to interrogation mode.

"I asked her to go out with me on the flight back-" Hiccup began.

"And I said yes." Astrid finished, looking her friend in the eyes as she answered, before picking up the remote and changing the setting to TV stations, ignoring Tuffs cry of protest.

"Wow Hiccup." He said as he put down his controller again. "I never imagined you as the romantic type, popping the question mid-flight."

"So what were you two _really _doing yesterday?" Ruff asked, eyes narrowing.

"Nothing Ruff." Astrid answered as she flicked through the channels. "Hiccup only asked me two days ago, and I'm fairly certain we both slept most of the day yesterday." Hiccup nodded in confirmation, Toothless sinking back down to sleep, now sure that there was nothing immediately interesting happening. But Ruff wasn't done yet.

"Fine then. What happened in the two weeks you two were alone. By yourselves. In a hotel. With no other adult supervision. In another state?"


	28. Chapter 28

After assuring Ruff that they were not alone together, and not in a hotel, and that there was adult supervision in the previous two weeks, Hiccup and Astrid seemed to have finally answered all of her questions and were able to enjoy being back in the presence of their friends again. Although Hiccup was curious as to what Fishlegs thought of all this.

"How about you Fish? Any questions you want to ask?" Fish merely shrugged and dog-eared his book before putting it down, study complete for the day.

"Not really. Truthfully I was sort of expecting that this sort of thing would happen." He said sagely.

"Really?" Hiccup and Astrid said at the same time, and Fish couldn't help but snort as they both looked at him with a single raised-eyebrow each.

"Really. Jeez you two are already in synch. When's the baby?" He smirked, receiving a pillow to the face for his trouble.

* * *

><p>On Monday it was business as usual as Hiccup and Astrid returned to the academy to begin training again. Hiccup stretched his back with a groan as he got out of the car.<p>

"Aahh. I never thought I'd say this, but it feels good to be back training."

"I never thought you'd say that either." Astrid said as she headed in towards the track. Gobber was already there waiting for them, and he pulled them aside to talk before they started.

"So what are we doing now coach?" Hiccup asked.

"Actually that's what I was going to talk to you about." Gobber replied. "At the meet, you ran well Hiccup, extremely well. There was almost nothing between you and that Daniel boy. In fact you caught the eye of one of the scouts for the national team who was there to observe Daniel." Hiccup was floored by this news, and he held his breath as Gobber continued. "Astrid here, by virtue of her win, is automatically eligible to go and race at the national level trials in four months. You on the other hand would normally be left out of consideration. But. You came close to winning, so close that the scout is willing to overlook second place and recommend you for selection trials." Hiccup felt like he was dreaming. He couldn't be hearing this right could he? Him? With a grand total of just over three months of training under his belt, put forward for selection?

"Soo..." He murmured, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to say to this news.

"So my question is this. Do you want me to put your name down as a candidate? If you say yes, then that's the direction that we will take with your training. Everything you do for the next few months will be tailored towards you performing well at national trials. If decide you don't want to, then I'm quite happy to just continue training you as it is." Hiccup looked around at Astrid, but she was very deliberately going through her warm up and avoiding eye contact. Looking back at Gobber, Hiccup gulped as he answered.

"Uh, can I take a moment to think about this? It's kind of unexpected to say the least." And the big man nodded.

"Certainly. But I need to know by the end of the week. I'm sorry to put this on you so suddenly Hiccup, but the opportunity is there if you want to take it." With that, Gobber turned away and headed out to where Astrid was, ready to begin the session proper. But before he was out of earshot, he spoke again.

"For what it's worth Hiccup, I think you can do it."

* * *

><p>After the session, Hiccup and Astrid were back in his car, heading towards Astrids house, and after a while Astrid broke the silence.<p>

"You're looking lost again." Hiccup kept his eyes on the road, but he answered her anyways.

"Did you know about this possibility of selection?"

"Um, truthfully, yes. That's how I made it to nationals last year. But I didn't want to put any more pressure on you. Are you mad at me?" She asked nervously.

"No, I could never be mad at you. It's just, four months ago I was dragging myself through another engineering lecture at college, and now I'm being asked if I'd like to try out for national level athletics." He mused, and Astrid nodded as she answered him.

"I know, it's a bit of a culture shock isn't it?"

"To put it politely...what do you think?" Hiccup asked, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at Astrid.

"I think...you could do it. And I'm not saying that because we're dating." She said, choosing her words carefully. "Everything Gobber has told you, about you improving out of sight in the short time you've been with him, it's true. You were good when I first saw you, but you're even better now."

"Hmmm..."

"And if it means anything, I'll be there with you. I'm going too." Astrid said, hoping that would reassure Hiccup.

"...Well that's two for yes so far." Hiccup said.

* * *

><p><strong>I know this last chapter is very short compared to the rest of the ones I've posted so far, but it seems appropriate. Hope you enjoyed it.<strong>


	29. Chapter 29

Later that night during dinner, Hiccup decided to ask his parents opinion on the matter.

"Mom, dad?" He began, and Stoick looked up from his plate, mouth full of Val's cooking, chewing with a rather comical look on his face.

"Mmm?" Was all he managed. Meanwhile Valka finished chewing her own food and swallowed before answering her son.

"Yes dear?"

"When did you guys decide on what it was you wanted to do with your lives?" Hiccup had expected his parents to act concerned or otherwise surprised in some way, but being parents, they simply went with the flow.

"I always wanted to work with animals, and I did work experience with the animal shelter here the year after finishing high school." Valka said. "But after seeing how things operated there, I decided I could do better work as a zoologist, and I got to work with a greater diversity of animals. No disrespect Toothless." Valka dropped the canine a piece of meat to show there were no ill feelings and gave him a loving rub on the head. On the other side of the table, Stoick had finally finished his gargantuan mouthful and managed to swallow it.

"I didn't actually decide that I wanted to own a shipyard straight away. It just seemed like a good job for me at the time, after finishing with shot put I wanted to do something physical without the whole training and competing aspect, and the big men in the town where willing to pay good money for that sort of thing."

"And why did you decide to pursue shot put?" Hiccup continued, picking nonchalantly at his food.

"I enjoyed it, I got to travel a bit and it was all I knew at the time." Stoick said, returning his attention to his plate. Hiccup continued to muse over his own meal as Valka spoke.

"Why do you ask Hiccup?"

"Oh, well. Gobber asked me if I wanted to go to the national trials in four months." He said, and Stoick choked and began spluttering as Hiccup looked up in alarm while Valka slapped her husband on the back with surprising force. After a while Stoick stopped spluttering and he managed to speak.

"Th-thank you Val." He coughed. "That's wonderful news son. When were you planning on telling us?"

"I don't know." Hiccup answered truthfully. "I was sort of waiting till I was sure of how to go about it."

"Is it going to affect your college?" Valka asked, and Hiccup sighed.

"I was afraid you were going to ask that. I don't know, I suppose it will, but Gobber mentioned that if I do say that I want to go and try out, then I can apply for an athletics scholarship and that will give me some leeway with assignments and deadlines." Valka pursed her lips as she thought about this new development, torn between wanting her son to succeed academically and wanting him to follow his heart.

"Are the nationals something you want?" She asked finally.

"I don't know." Hiccup started, but Valka interrupted him.

"You seem to be unsure about a lot of things." She said.

_"I know mom!" _He cried, dropping his head on the table. " I just. _Argh._ It's like I said to Astrid. Four months ago I was dragging myself through another lecture, and now I'm facing the possibility of racing at a national level in another four months." He groaned against the table as Toothless settled his head on his masters knee, pining at him. "It's all very sudden." Hiccup finished. Neither of his parents spoke for a while, but Hiccup took his head off the table as Stoick spoke.

"Are you enjoying college?" The gentle tone and the concern in his fathers voice stopped Hiccups retort, and he bit his lip as he thought about his answer some more.

"...No." He said with finality. "I'm not. It's becoming boring, and I don't know why I chose this engineering course to begin with." As he said it, Hiccup thought about how he had said something similar to Astrid a number of times, and slowly his answer became clearer.

"When it comes down to it. I _do _want to go to nationals." He said, looking at his mother. "When I raced before, it was fun, it was exciting. And it hurt, but it was worth it."

"There you go then son." Stoick said. "Accept Gobbers offer." Valka however, still looked troubled.

"Are you just going to abandon the course you've been enrolled in for the past two years?"

"No mom. I promise I won't." Hiccup answered. His mother bit her lip, but she looked around as Stoick put his hand on her shoulder and nodded towards the kitchen, indicating for his wife to follow him. Getting up together, they left Hiccup alone at the table, gently scratching Toothless' head.

* * *

><p>As they entered the kitchen, Valka turned around and crossed her arms, waiting for Stoick to speak.<p>

"What exactly are you concerned about Val?" Stoick asked, and slowly she unfolded her arms, letting them drop to her sides.

"I just...I don't want him to throw away everything he's worked at for the past two years." She said in exasperation.

"But he's not." Stoick tried to assure her, putting his big hands on her shoulders gently and looking her in the eyes. "He said it himself, he's not going to drop out of college for this. I wouldn't let him do that anyway. And if Gobber says he can get a scholarship to help him out, then I believe him."

"I don't know..." Valka said, still torn within herself.

"Do you really think our boy would just throw away his academic prospects?" Stoick asked. "He's got more brains than half the kids in his class, and he could do anything he wanted to. Maybe he rushed his decision to enroll in that engineering course, maybe it was the right choice at the time. But right now, I think that this is the right choice for him. He needs to get out of here some more, explore what the world has to offer him. Even if he doesn't have much success at nationals, which I highly doubt will happen, it's not going to stop his study and future career prospects. It's just going to push the back a few months. And hey, I turned out allright didn't I?" He winked at her.

Sighing as she realised the truth behind her husbands argument, Valka spoke as if to reassure herself.

"I suppose it's not as though it's going to consume his life. He's smarter than that." She said, before stepping forward to hug her husband.

"Maybe I just worry too much." Her voice was muffled as she spoke into his shoulder.

"No, that's in your job description as a mother." He replied, laughing. Valka laughed too and she stepped back.

"I suppose Astrid will keep him in line for me anyway." She said.

"Aye, that she will. She's good for him that girl."

* * *

><p>Hiccup looked up from where he was discreetly feeding Toothless under the table as his parents sat down again, Valka taking a breath before she spoke.<p>

"I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to make you worry more."

"Mom please, you didn't." Hiccup hurried to reassure his mother.

"In any case." She continued. "As your parents, we'll support you in whatever choices you make. It's in our job descriptions." Stoick smiled at her as she finished, and Hiccup looked back and forth between his parents.

"Uh, am I missing something here?"


	30. Chapter 30

The next day, during the drive to training, Hiccup said to Astrid.

"So I made my decision."

"That was quick." She replied, looking at him. "And your answer is...?"

"I'll go."

"If I wasn't sitting in the seat next to you, and you weren't driving, I'd hug you." Astrid told him, so instead she settled for feeling elated that someone was going to be going with her to compete again, and even let herself feel a little bit more glad that that person was Hiccup. "What made you decide so quickly?"

"I spoke to mom and dad last night, and they're fine with it. And you wanted me to go with you and I couldn't say no to the person I'm dating now could I?" Hiccup was still a little unsure about whether or not he'd made the right decision so quickly, but everything he'd told his parents last night was true. He was getting bored with college, racing was fun, and even training was better now that he was dating Astrid. "I suppose Gobbers going to make my life hell for the next few months isn't he?" He asked.

"Oh you have no idea." Astrid said.

* * *

><p>"HOLD IT HICCUP. STAY UP THERE. DROP YOUR BUM." Gobbers shouting dominated all of Hiccups senses as he held yet another plank in his first core session back. Gobber had been glad that Hiccup had decided to try out, but had promised to make him work harder than he'd ever worked before, and now here they were, demon-coach was back and Hiccup was suffering through it all. Just because he was in a good mood, Gobber had decided to make Hiccup hold his plank for five minutes instead of the standard three which he had achieved just before going away. Currently four minutes in and Hiccup was shaking like a leaf, but Gobber showed no signs of stopping, and even Astrid was starting to lose her form a little.<p>

"STEADY HICCUP. STOP MOVING THOSE HIPS." Hiccup groaned in pain as he continued to try and hold himself up, the seconds ticking past agonisingly slowly, until finally Gobber called for rest. Hiccup dropped on his stomach, then turned and curled up in a ball, groaning again as his stomach muscles cramped. The pain didn't last long and eventually Hiccup was able to lie out flat again, he couldn't remember feeling this shattered since his first session at the track.

_"How time flies." _He said to himself, panting and dripping with perspiration before Gobber called out for another effort. _"You chose this." _Hiccup thought as he went up again.

* * *

><p>After being put through the ringer, Hiccup and Astrid finished their session and decided to go over to Fishlegs' house. As they headed out towards the carpark however, there was a surprise visitor in the stands.<p>

"Hiccup!" They called out, and Hiccup stopped walking for a moment as he tried to identify the mystery person. Squinting, rubbing his eyes and then squinting again just to be sure, Hiccup answered.

"Scott?" Astrid frowned at Hiccup, not sure if he was hallucinating or not, but sure enough, Scott clambered down from the stands and jogged over to the couple.

"Uh, hey." He said awkwardly, putting one hand behind his neck and rubbing it unconsciously, not making eye contact with either of them.

"Is that a family thing?" Astrid asked Hiccup, and when he looked at her questioningly, she copied Scott's movements, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Oh. Do I do that too?" Hiccup asked, and she nodded. "I suppose it must be then. What's up Scott?" He said, facing his cousin.

"Can we talk for a minute?" The bigger boy asked, sounding almost, nervous?

"Um, sure. Talk away."

"I mean just, you and me." Scott said, finally looking up at Hiccup as he spoke. Astrid went to speak, but Hiccup stopped her with a wave of his hand.

"I'll be okay. I can take care of myself." He assured her, she didn't look happy about it, but she nodded anyway.

"I'll wait in the car." She said, turning away, but she stopped and looked back as Scott's voice came from behind her.

"Astrid. About that night. I'm sorry, I spoke out of line." Astrid almost fell over in shock, an apology the last thing she expected, but she managed to nod cautiously at Scott before turning away again. But not before giving Hiccup a _"what the hell?"_ look. Hiccup shrugged at her, his curiosity piqued by Scott's behaviour, but still on guard.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked, straight to the point.

"I uh, I heard that you got chosen to go and try out for national athletics." Scott said, a little surprised by Hiccups bluntness, but going with it anyway.

"Yeah I did. I've got four months. Myself and Astrid are going together."

"Are you two-. I mean, are you guys-?"

"Dating? Yes." Hiccup answered Scotts unspoken question, and Scott looked legitimately surprised.

"Really? Wow, congratulations I guess."

"Thanks." Hiccup was still a little guarded, unsure about what game Scott was playing, and the tone of his voice must have been evident to Scott, as he took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"Hiccup. I'm sorry." Like Astrid, Hiccup was not expecting Scott to apologise for anything, and he was stunned into silence for a moment.

"...I'm sorry?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. Wait, I mean. No, whatever. I really am sorry. I'm sorry for that night at dinner, I'm sorry for being a git of a cousin, and I'm sorry for all the times I made your life hell." Scott looked as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he let out a sigh as he finished. Hiccup meanwhile took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Um, it's okay I guess. But, I have to ask. What brought this on?"

"Dad. Uncle Steve. He's been trying to get me to, 'straighten out' as he says. I never really listened to him, or anyone else for that matter. But Uncle Stoick was telling some of the guys at work how you've been selected to go and try out and when I heard that I...I dunno. I just felt really ashamed that I'd been nothing but a pain to you for our whole lives. I always thought I was the better one, the footballer, life of the party, all that. But now you're going to nationals and I'm only in my first year of an apprenticeship." Scott sounded legitimately sorry and Hiccup surprised himself when he spoke.

"It's okay. An apprenticeship is nothing to be ashamed of. It's good money in the end. And I haven't made it to nationals yet. I'm only going to try out. I turned out allright despite everything I suppose."

"Yeah, I guess you did. But I'm still sorry." Scott said, looking Hiccup in the eyes.

"Hey, we're family." Hiccup replied, holding out his hand which Scott shook.

"I haven't seen any of the old gang for ages. Fishlegs or the twins." Scott told his cousin, glad to put his past behind him.

"They're in town. Actually we were just going over to Fishlegs' house now. Did you want to tag along?" Scott looked simultaneously very happy at the prospect of seeing some old friends, and slightly nervous at what they might think of him now.

"Uh, is that okay?"

"Yeah sure. It's more fun with more people anyway. Just follow along behind us and we'll lead the way." Hiccup said, walking out towards the carpark. Scott nodded and followed behind, heading for his pickup parked outside, a few parks down from Hiccups own car. As Hiccup opened the door and got in to the drivers seat, Astrid immediately began questioning him.

"What the hell was that all about?"

"I uh, I think Scott might have turned a new leaf." Hiccup replied, starting the car.

"Did he tease you or make fun of you or anything like that?" Astrid asked, still fairly heated.

"I'm fine. He really apologised and everything." Astrid sat back in her seat with a huff, pouting, and Hiccup had to laugh at her. "What's the matter Astrid? You're kind of hard to take seriously with that face." His partner stuck her tongue out at him cheekily, but she sat up a little straighter despite herself.

"He'd have to turn over a damn big leaf to excuse everything that's happened lately." She sighed.

"I think he'll be allright. He's following us to Fish's house." Hiccup told her.

"This should be interesting."

* * *

><p>"Yo Fish." Hiccup called as he entered the house, not bothering to knock anymore.<p>

"In the living room Hiccup." Fishlegs' voice came from further in the house.

"Why aren't I surprised?" Hiccup muttered to Astrid, then he turned to Scott, still standing in the doorway, looking around in slight awe at the size of his old classmates house.

"Fishlegs lives here?" He asked. "Timid, nerdy, bookworm Fishlegs?"

"Yep." Astrid said, strolling down towards the living room casually, Hiccup close behind her.

"Whoa." Scotts mouth was open as he followed his cousin, but he stopped again in the entrance to the living room, unsure of himself.

"Hey guys, Scott's here." Hiccup announced to the room at large as he took a seat, Astrid sitting down with him. Fishlegs and the twins heads all swiveled in unison towards the entrance where Scott stood awkwardly.

"Uh, hey guys. Long time no see." He said as he waved to the group in general. Fishlegs nodded at him before giving Hiccup a questioning look.

"He hasn't seen anybody in ages, so I thought I'd bring him along." Hiccup shrugged.

"Wassup Scott." Ruff said, turning her attention back to the TV, which was currently split into three sections for each of the twins and Fish during their game.

"Is that Halo?" Scott asked, and this time Tuff answered him.

"Yeah. Are you any good?" The male twin was looking intently at the screen, tongue between his teeth as his fingers fiddled with the controller.

"I guess. I mean, I have-"

"Good. Grab a controller, there's one over there. I need a challenge." Tuff pointed at the TV stand where there were some spare controllers and Scott walked over and picked one up, joining the game.

"Hey what do you mean you need a challenge?" Ruff asked. "You can't even beat Hiccup."

"Right here guys." Hiccup muttered, but he went unheard as the twins started arguing again.

"Yes I can. He just got lucky that time. And you haven't got a hope against me." Tuff said to his twin.

"Oh you're so dead." Ruff answered, renewing her on-screen efforts.

"You're with Ruff and I, Scott." Fishlegs said. "Seeing as Tuffnut here considers himself a master."

"Oh does he?" Scott said, as his character put a bullet through Tuffs.

"BULLSHIT!" Tuff cried. "Scott, you're on my team." Scott looked at Hiccup, who could only shrug as he and Astrid sat back and watched the carnage unfold.

"Welcome to the gang." Hiccup shrugged.


	31. Chapter 31

Scott settled in well with the group, the twins were glad for another member to even the odds during a game, and after Hiccup had explained the events at the track, Fish had eased up around the bigger boy. The talent for video games seemed to be another thing that Scott and Hiccup shared, and soon the twins were constantly arguing over whose team got the additional player. In particular, Tuff took a renewed liking to the new addition; they're similarly crude senses of humour meant that they got along rather well. Meanwhile Hiccup and Astrid kept at their training, Gobber picking up the intensity of each session just enough to make them both suffer, but not enough to render them incapacitated. After one rather noteworthy session, a few days before college was due to start up again for the new year, the two young adults where sitting in the car outside the academy, waiting until their legs had recovered enough for Hiccup to be able to operate the pedals. He was particularly sore today since Gobber had allowed him to progress to 100 metre efforts for the first time, it might have only been an extra 60 metres, but with Gobber that meant 60 extra metres of pain. Astrid had her seat tilted all the way back so as she was almost lying down, and she had her eyes closed like she was about to fall asleep, but she opened them slightly to look at Hiccup as he spoke.

"Do you want to drive today?" He asked, and she closed her eyes again before answering.

"No I'm quite allright riding shotgun." Hiccup shrugged, he didn't mind driving, and having had his licence for several years, he was quite adept at it. But he sat up a little straighter as a thought occurred to him.

"Can you actually drive at all?" Astrid opened one eye, looking at Hiccup like she was personally offended.

"Whether I can or can't drive, does it matter?" She said, trying to show some form of dignity. It didn't work very well as Hiccups face split into a broad grin.

"You can't drive? You really can't drive?"

"Shut up." Astrid said, not looking at him.

"You're almost twenty one years old, and you can't drive." Hiccup supposed he really shouldn't be teasing Astrid, but after seeing her as an invincible, all accomplishing athlete since high school, this particular piece of information seemed rather amusing to him.

"No I can't drive Hiccup. There I said it. Happy now?" Astrid said, putting the back of her seat back up. "I never bothered to learn because to be honest, the whole concept of controlling a two-tonne piece of metal with some pedals and a circle is rather daunting." She sounded rather upset and Hiccup decided his teasing had gone on far enough.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." He told her. "I just sort of assumed that you always let me drive because it was my car." Astrid said nothing, looking straight ahead as she maintained her stony air. Hiccup tried to think of something to show he was really sorry, and eventually he settled for.

"Do you want me to teach you?"

"What?" Astrid uncrossed her arms, looking across at him in surprise.

"I could teach you how to drive." Hiccup suggested. Astrid was silent again, this time because she was mulling the proposition over in her mind.

"Can you do that?" She asked finally.

"Sure. I mean, I'm not qualified or anything, but I know enough to get you started. And I'm cheaper than lessons." He winked.

"…Fine. But you can't laugh at me when I make a mistake."

"You have my word milady."

* * *

><p>Astrid and Hiccup swapped seats, and Astrid looked downright terrified behind the wheel.<p>

"For today, let's just get you out of the carpark." Hiccup reassured her gently. "Okay, this is a stick shift, so it's a little more complicated than an auto, but driving an auto is cheating anyway."

"Why is an auto cheating?" Astrid asked, knuckles white on the steering wheel.

"Because you don't have to use a clutch." Hiccup answered. As she opened her mouth to ask another question, Hiccup continued. "From left to right, the pedals at your feet are clutch, brake, accelerator."

"Clutch, brake, accelerator." Astrid repeated, shifting her foot onto each one respectively.

"Right. Now, to change gears, you have to push in the clutch. So, put it in reverse."

"Reverse. Okay." Looking at the diagram on the gear stick, Astrid found the _R, _pressed in the clutch and put the car in reverse.

"Good." Said Hiccup. "Get rid of the handbrake." Looking down again, Astrid gripped the lever, clicked in the button and depressed the brake. The car began to roll backwards, but Astrid, startled by the sudden movement slammed her foot on the brake and the occupants heads flew back and slammed into the headrests. Rubbing the spot where his head had come into contact with the headrest, Hiccup spoke. "Okay. Try again, you know the car is going to roll, so this time try not to slam on the brakes." Nodding, Astrid went through the motions again, and this time the car rolled backwards smoothly, Astrid turning the wheel in sync with the movement so as the car slid smoothly out of the designated parking spot.

"See? That was easy." Hiccup said. "Now, again, clutch to change gears, put it in first. But this time, as you take your foot off the clutch, push down gently on the accelerator. This is why an auto is cheating. You'd just have to change gears and forget about the clutch."

"That sounds so much easier than this." Astrid muttered, but she complied, pressing in the clutch and putting the car in first, she pushed too early with the accelerator however, and the car jumped forward a few times, engine sputtering before eventually stalling. "What the hell was that?"

"You stalled it." Hiccup told her. "That's what happens when you don't get the clutch and the accelerator in sync. Try again. Gently." So she did, but she stalled it again, and they were thrown around by the jumping car.

"Fuck." Astrid cursed and Hiccup was surprised by her uncharacteristic outburst.

"It's allright. It took me a while to get it right too." He reassured her. "One more time, just get us out of the carpark and I'll take over again." Taking a deep breath, Astrid gripped the steering wheel, restarted the car and put it in first again. This time she got the timing right and they rolled forward, a little jumpy still, but no stalling this time. As they approached the exit to the carpark, Hiccup spoke again.

"Clutch." Astrid put her foot down. "Second." Taking a moment to check the diagram again, she reversed her hand and pushed the stick back, putting the car into second. "Very good." Hiccup said, and after they turned out of the parking lot, Astrid pulled over, putting her foot on the brakes, but forgetting about the clutch, the car spluttered and stalled again. Groaning in frustration, she dropped her head on the steering wheel.

"Is there a translation for that?" Hiccup asked from the passenger seat.

"Shut up." She muttered, sitting up again with a sigh. "I hate driving." Hiccup chuckled as he unbuckled his seatbelt, Astrid mimicking him, and they got out to swap seats again. After he had readjusted the seat to the way he liked it, Hiccup said to Astrid.

"Don't worry. It took me ages to get it right. It becomes second nature after a while." Astrid looked and sounded very relieved to be back in the passenger seat as she answered.

"I think I'd rather just stick to running."

* * *

><p>And suddenly college was starting up again, and they had lectures and assignments and group projects to do. And Hiccup decided he had made the right decision, after the excitement and satisfaction of training and racing, college lectures were just so <em>boring.<em> But he kept his word to his mother and handed in his assignments on time, grateful for the brains he had inherited from his parents. While the assignments took time, they weren't overly difficult for him, and they were usually finished well before the deadline as he made more time for training and being with Astrid. Gobber had kept his word too, and after speaking to the dean of the college, Hiccup had been granted an elite athlete scholarship on the basis of his potential for national level performance. Not that he really needed it, considering his assignments were on time and his grades were still above standard. Tuff and Scott started working more, now that college was back on there wasn't a lot of time for gatherings, especially since for Ruff, Fish and Astrid, it was the final year of their degrees. Consequently, the only person Hiccup really saw often was Astrid, not surprising given that they were both on scholarships and were training together. And dating. Driving lessons were thrown in whenever possible, and slowly Astrid picked up on the finer points of it. Eventually she got to the point where she was able to drive home, albeit very nervously, Hiccup beside her the whole time. A month into the semester, three months before they were due to go away again, Astrid asked Hiccup if he wanted to meet her parents.

"But I've already met your mom, and your dad was at the airport." He said.

"Yeah, but I want you to meet them properly. I was basically interrogated by your parents that first night. And mom wants to meet you for real anyway."

"It wasn't that much of an interrogation." Hiccup replied.

"Come ooon Hiccup. Please? If we're dating it we really should know each others parents." Astrid pleaded, looking at him. "They're not that bad. Dad looks tough but he's really nice. Jack wants to see you too."

"Jack can't even talk yet." Hiccup laughed, but Astrid didn't relent.

"Are you scared of my parents?" She asked.

"What? Me? No."

"So why won't you come and get to know them?" Hiccup pretended to think about his answer to prolong Astrids waiting, but eventually he caved in.

"Sure, why not. I'd like to see Jack again, and I don't want your dad thinking that I'm just some lecherous creep after your body."

"I'd break your fingers if you tried anything without my permission." Astrid told him, although she was glad he had finally agreed.

"Without your permission?" Hiccup asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Steady there Haddock." Astrid said. "When did you get so confident in yourself?"

"I'm not." Hiccup replied. "I'm actually dead scared that you _will_ break my fingers or something."

"Hmm. Who's to say _I _won't try anything?" Astrid winked at him, and Hiccup was left speechless, and slightly heated by the thought.

"Nevermind me. When did _you _get so…so…flirtatious?" He sputtered. Astrid merely shrugged, enjoying teasing him.

"I always knew you were checking me out that first day at the football field." He muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, they're hormonal young adults. Gotta happen sometime right?<strong>

**In Australia, in my state in particular, people can apply for their learners licence at 15 and 9 months. Then after they've had that for six months, they can move onto Provisional licenses, which they hold for two years before being granted a full licence. So at 20 years old, Hiccup would have been driving competently for several years now.**


	32. Chapter 32

Astrid opened the door to her house as Hiccup stood behind her, fidgeting nervously with the bottom of his shirt. He might have taken the idea of meeting her parents lightly before, but here, on their doorstep, he was suddenly thinking maybe he could wait a little longer. Astrid turned around as she entered, waiting for him to follow her.

"Are you coming?" She asked. Hiccup looked up, still fidgeting.

"Um. You know, maybe I should uh, come back another time. I don't want to, you know, disturb them." But he had barely finished his sentence before Astrid was on his case.

"Oh no you don't Haddock. Get in here." Then, grabbing him by the front of his shirt, she yanked him inside none-too-gently. "I've already told them I was bringing you around to meet them, so get used to the idea."

"Yikes. Yes ma'am." Hiccup gave a mock salute, simultaneously intimidated and awed by her sudden assertiveness. She relaxed a little as she spoke.

"You'll be fine. I could have just invited you around on the pretense of driving you home later and suddenly had my father walk out and interrogate you."

"Hey. I had every intention of driving you home that night, and I did. I also didn't expect dad to just sort of, appear like he did." Hiccup played defensive, although he was glad for Astrids little jibe as it did help him relax a little, the familiar feeling of pointless banter and sarcasm quite comforting in that moment. Astrid took his hand and led him further into the house, her physical contact also making him slightly less nervous at the idea of meeting her parents in the very, very near future.

"What's with the outfit?" She asked him as the walked, casting an eye back over what he was wearing. It wasn't formal by any means, a long-sleeve button up in various shades of black, sleeves currently rolled up, and a semi-decent pair of pants. But then again, these days anything that wasn't running shorts and a singlet could have been classed as dressing up for Hiccup.

"I don't actually know. Isn't that what people do when they meet their partners parents? Try and make a good impression?" Hiccup replied, and Astrid looked back at him.

"Are we partners now?"

"Um, I mean, well-I didn't really know how to phrase it and _"when people who are dating meet each others parents" _sounded a bit too long..." He trailed off as the entered they entered a room which appeared to be the family living area. A rather large TV hung on one wall, a pool table in the far corner and a rack of cues behind it. A number of armchairs formed a sort of haphazard semi-circle facing the TV, and between the chairs and the screen was a play mat, which Jack had obviously commandeered, judging by the number of toys and stuffed animals on it. Jack was playing with one of the animals, Emma seated on the floor beside him, and in one of the armchairs, Brandt sat facing the TV, but he looked up towards the entrance of the room as he heard their voices approaching. Hiccup stood frozen, suddenly almost as nervous as he had been before his race, but thankfully Astrid didn't miss a beat.

"Mom, dad, this is Hiccup. My boyfriend." Hiccup was a little thrown by the use of the _b-_word, but he recovered in time to shake Brandt's hand as he got out of his seat.

"A pleasure to finally meet you officially Hiccup." He said. His voice was hoarse like there was dust constantly stuck in his throat, but his handshake was firm and up close his eyes were gentle. It was almost like looking into Astrids eyes, the same clear sky-blue. Except for the short, dirty blond beard and moustache that frames his face of course.

"Likewise sir." Hiccup replied, still a little tense. Brandt clapped him on the shoulder before gesturing to a spare armchair and taking his own seat again. Meanwhile Emma had picked up Jack and was seated in her own chair, bouncing her son on her knee as she smiled a greeting at Hiccup.

"Hullo Emma." Hiccup said, and he gave Jack a light poke in the stomach. The infant jumped happily, gurgling and laughing before burying his face in his mothers shoulder as if embarrassed.

"I see you've met my wife and son." Brandt voice caught his attention and Hiccup looked back at him. "And you're obviously well acquainted with my daughter."

"Um, yes sir."

"Brandt." The man smiled at him, and Hiccup relaxed, a little more at ease in the large room.

"Right. Yes Brandt. You're wife and I met at a friends house, and Astrid and I-"

"Ran into each other at college one day." Astrid put in, joining the conversation again. "Well, he ran into me. But that's a minor detail."

"You ran into my daughter? What were you running from?" Brandt put on a false sense of annoyance, and Hiccup hurried to reassure him.

"Nothing sir. Brandt. I just wasn't looking where I was going." He stopped as Brandt chuckled, waving his hand to let Hiccup know he was joking.

"I'm playing with you son." He said.

"You and Astrid seem to have that habit." Hiccup replied, and Brandt laughed again, louder this time.

"Oh good. I taught her well then. Don't worry Hiccup, I never enjoyed college. I gave it a go for a year or two before deciding to change over to construction. What are you studying?"

* * *

><p>A rather pleasant conversation followed, the usual questions about study, hobbies and other interests were asked and answered, and Brandt seemed to like Hiccup. At least Hiccup hoped he did. Emma spent most of the time satisfying Jacks need for attention, although at one point Jack made a grabbing motion towards the older boy, and after checking to make sure it was okay, Hiccup mimicked Emma's position from earlier, seating Jack on his knee and holding him there for a while. Eventually though, the excitement of having another person in the house caught up with him, and Emma took her son off for a nap, deciding to take one herself too. Apologising to Hiccup, she took her leave, and shortly after, Astrid checked her watch and reminded Hiccup that they had afternoon training Brandt stood up to see them out, and as they were walking out the door, he put his hand on Hiccups shoulder and gave him the concerned father speech.<p>

"Hiccup. I like you. You seem like a genuine boy. But as a father, I look out for my children. So. If you hurt her in any way, or upset her, there will be consequences." Hiccup gulped audibly, and this time he really couldn't tell if Brandt was joking.

"I understand Brandt. I promise, I have no ill intentions with Astrid. I would never hurt her." Brandt eased up as he listened.

"Good. Now that that's out of the way. Get going, from what Astrid tells me this Gobber fellow doesn't like tardiness." Nodding at the older man, Hiccup turned and got into his car, driving off.

* * *

><p>Inside the car Hiccup let out a sigh and sat back as he drove.<p>

"That wasn't so bad was it?" Astrid asked. "You could have even got away with not dressing up.

"I suppose it wasn't. And I didn't know that did I? It's the first time I've had to do something like this. I'm really not sure if your dad likes me though."

"He does." Astrid told him, and Hiccup looked over at her.

"How can you be sure?"

"Because if he really didn't like you, then he'd have come straight out and told you so." She said simply. Hiccup was silent as he thought about that, deciding that he was quite happy to believe that Astrid's father approved of him, he asked her about something else that had been bothering him.

"Did you mean that back there? About me being your boyfriend?" This time Astrid took her time as she answered.

"...Yes I did. I mean, we're still only dating or whatever. But I've never done this sort of thing before, so I don't know if there's something I've missed."

"Well I've never done this thing either." Hiccup said, eyes back on the road. "...are you happy with the idea of me being your boyfriend?"

"Yes." Astrids answer was quick and plain, and Hiccup couldn't help smiling as she said it.

"Are you happy with the idea of me being your boyfriend?" She asked, looking over at him.

"Definitely. I have had that crush since high school you know."

"Awww, you're after my very own heart Hiccup. You're getting soft on me."

"Maybe I am." Hiccup answered. The rest of the drive was relatively quiet, neither of them having much to say, then when they arrived at the track, Hiccup got out and opened up the back door, pulling his running shirt out of the bag he kept in the back. As he unbuttoned they shirt he was wearing and slipped on his more comfortable running gear, Astrid propped her elbows on the centre console of the car, resting her head on her hand as she made no attempt to disguise her viewing of Hiccups mini-strip show. As his head appeared through the hole in his shirt, he noticed her sitting there looking rather content.

"You're not even trying to be discreet any more are you?" He asked.

"Well you don't seem to be particularly nervous around me either." She replied easily. The months of training had done wonders for his body. At twenty years of age he was almost finished growing, he wouldn't be much taller, but she already had to look up at him, and secretly she liked it that way. Gobbers core sessions had chiseled out his stomach too and as Astrid remembered the first time she had seen Hiccup without a shirt, she was glad she had managed to convince him to start training with her. He'd been slim before, but now there was also plenty of firm muscle present. She could easily pick out each of his abdominals, and the strength required to hold his planks had given him stronger, broader shoulders too. Astrid wasn't shallow enough to fall for looks alone, but all in all, she was very, very happy that she had managed to get him to start training. And even more happy that she was the one dating him. Hiccup was also rather surprised, and flattered, that he was able to hold her attention, having never really considered himself "good looking".

"As pleased as I am that you find me attractive enough to stare, Gobber is waiting for us. But if you want, you can tell him why we were late." Hiccups voice interrupted her thoughts and she came back to reality in time to realise that he was straightening up, shoes in hand as he shut the back door.

"No thank you. I'm coming." Quickly she got out of her seat, grabbing her own bag and following him into the academy.

* * *

><p><strong>I thought it was about time I started to develop Hiccstrid's physical relationship a bit more. While I enjoy writing fluff, it's also fun to write this sort of stuff, and let's be honest. At 20, in HTTYD 2, Hiccup was really good looking. Don't know if I'm capable of writing anything along the lines of smut, but then again I didn't think I could write a 30 chapter story either.<strong>


	33. Chapter 33

Hiccup crossed the finish line, Gobber standing casually beside the track, stopwatch in hand as he timed his latest sprint.

"12.2 for the hundred. Very good Hiccup. Very good indeed." Coming from Gobber, praise was a rarity, and Hiccup allowed himself a little feeling of pride as he straightened up and began walking back for another effort. Astrid crossed the line as he turned, and Gobber clicked his stopwatch again.

"50.7 for that last 400 Astrid. Keep it up." Astrids combined hundred metre times might have been marginally slower than Hiccups, but it was acceptable given the fact that she had to maintain that pace for an extra 600 metres in a race. She doubled over, lack of oxygen causing her head to spin, and Hiccup glanced back at her, halfway down the home straight. Astrids behaviour in the car still in his mind, he wondered if it was appropriate for him to look as thoughts and images that his mother would certainly have disapproved of went through his mind. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned around as he reached the hundred metre mark, jumping up and down a few times to activate his legs again, before crouching and waiting for Gobbers call.

* * *

><p>As they were going through their warm down routines for the day, Gobber began speaking to the two young adults.<p>

"Listen up you two, your training is coming along well, and your times are within the standards you'll need to reach at nationals. But the best test is always competition. So, at the end of next week, I'd like you to come down to the local club night. The calibre of the athletes you'll be racing isn't as high as it was during the new year, but it's still good practice. Do either of you have any objections?" When the two young adults shook their heads, Gobber nodded before speaking again.

"Hiccup, I'd like you to stay behind for a moment later. I want to have a talk."

"Am I in trouble?" Hiccup asked immediately.

"No, I just have a proposition for you." Astrid looked at Hiccup, who could only shrug as they continued their stretching.

* * *

><p>"What's up Gobber?" Hiccup spoke to his coach as Astrid waited for him in the stands, preferring to wait there instead of in the car again.<p>

"How's your college going?" Gobber asked back, Hiccup wasn't expecting this sort of question, but he answered anyway.

"Good. I mean, I'm on top of everything at the moment, and I'm passing. So I suppose it's about as good as it could be."

"Remind me what you're studying again." Gobber continued, Hiccup was still confused about where this conversation was going though.

"Engineering."

"And how are you finding that?"

"It's...okay I guess." Hiccup muttered.

"What, you aren't enjoying it?"

"...Not really no. I only enrolled because at the time it seemed like the right choice, seeing as I was always fiddling with some invention or another. And I promised mom that I wouldn't just drop out of college to focus on athletics."

"Smart move. I always liked that about your mother, got a level head on her she has."

"Yes, she does." Hiccup's curiosity got the better of him though and he decided to get to the point. "So what exactly did you want to talk about?"

"Ah, right." Said Gobber. "Are you doing much on Monday and Thursday afternoons?"

"Um, no. Not besides training. College lectures are in the morning at the moment."

"Good. How would you feel about coming down here and coaching some of the junior athletes?" Of all the things Hiccup was expecting, this was certainly not one of them.

"I'm going to need you to elaborate." He said.

"This track might be joined with the Academy, but it's also host to all the other athletics clubs and events in this area. And on Monday and Thursday afternoons, from 5 till 6, the junior athletics kids come and train."

"Why do you want me to train them?"

"The first thing Astrid told me when you started here, was that you taught yourself to run. Which in itself was impressive. I'd like you to come down and help me coach the juniors. It's also a good place to spot any future talent." Gobber said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, yeah I did kind of teach myself. But I mean, I've never taught anyone _else _to run. It's all just been in my head."

"So all you need to do is put those thoughts into words. Maybe dumb it down a bit too so as they understand." Hiccup turned the idea over in his head as Gobber continued. "We'd start your training half an hour earlier, at 3.30. Go for an hour, then you'd have half an hour to shower, eat, do whatever you have to do before you start coaching."

"Why not." Hiccup said suddenly. "Could be fun, it'll certainly be interesting."

"That's the spirit. Actually, ask Astrid to come too. I suppose I should have invited her over for this conversation, but you seem to know her activities better than I do these days." Gobber said. After deciding that he would start next week, Hiccup turned away and walked over to Astrid, who got up as he approached.

"What did you do wrong?" She asked mock-seriously.

"You have no faith in me." Hiccup replied. "I'm going to come down and coach the juniors on Mondays and Thursdays. And you can come too if you want."

"That should be interesting." Astrid mused as they headed for the car.

"That's what I said." Hiccup told her.


	34. Chapter 34

"-So I start next week." Hiccup finished talking as he took another forkful of food later that night. He was explaining Gobbers proposition and the finer details to his parent during dinner, and on the whole, they seemed to be very receptive to the idea.

"Sounds like it should be interesting." Stoick said through a characteristically large mouthful of food.

"Indeed it does." Valka cast another exasperated look at her husband and his eating habits, but smiled at Hiccup. "Who knows? You might enjoy this sort of thing."

"Maybe. But so far my child supervising experience consists of a 9 month old baby and a three legged dog." Toothless looked up, sensing the intent behind Hiccups voice, and Hiccup laughed. "Yeah you. You're essentially just a big furry baby." He gave Toothless a scratch behind the ears, but Toothless wasn't going to be won over so easily, sauntering over to the other side of the table, head held high in dignity, he sat down next to Valka, who dropped him a piece of meat.

"Traitor." Hiccup muttered.

* * *

><p>The next Monday Hiccup and Astrid arrived early for their session, it would take a little while for them to readjust to this new start time, but for now they were happy to go with the change. The session went us usual, Gobber shouting, Hiccup and Astrid panting and gritting their teeth through the various sets and drills. Then before they knew it, it was 4.30 and they were showering, changing into something a little less sweaty and Hiccup was back out on the track as the first few children arrived. The gang had managed to meet up over the weekend just gone, and Hiccup had asked Fish for some tips on working with children. While it had been difficult to hear him over the screams, explosions and gunfire coming from the twins, Scott and the TV, Hiccup remembered that Fish had told him that children generally were more accepting towards you when you where at their eye level instead of towering above them. So after all of the junior athletes had gathered, about 15 of them, Gobber introduced Hiccup and Astrid, who stood there awkwardly, nodding at them. Or in Astrids case, smiling at them like some sort of super beautiful goddess. After Gobbers introductions, Hiccup squatted down so as he was able to look directly into the nearest childs eyes. The child was only about 12, but he looked very sure of himself. Hiccup looked into brown eyes, framed by a mess of straight black hair and he held out his hand gently.<p>

"Hey there. My name's Hiccup. I'm new here."

"I'm Ryan." The boy replied, shaking Hiccups hand awkwardly, as if not sure exactly how to do it. Then out of the blue, completely straight faced, Ryan asked, "Why are you called Hiccup? It's a weird name." The older boy laughed, Fishlegs had mentioned that the kids might not have developed a sense of tact yet.

"It's just a nickname. My real name is Henry."

"But why is your nickname Hiccup?" Ryan persisted.

"Because when I was younger my cousin liked to tease me, and it would upset me, and I'd get the hiccups a lot."

"Hm." Ryan grunted. "Well I'm not scared of anything."

"Not even coach Gobber?" Hiccup asked, slyly indicating the older man behind him, and Ryan's cool expression faltered a little.

"Well, maybe of coach Gobber." Hiccup laughed again as he stood up, and as he did another child further towards the back of the group called out.

"And what about Miss Astrid? Is she your wife?" The two of them immediately turned red, stumbling over their words as they tried to answer him, and Gobber roared with laughter behind them. Having overheard Hiccups earlier comment, he figured the karma was appropriate.

"Um, no." Astrid said kindly, looking over back at Gobber, who was still shaking, she motioned towards the speaker, a slightly older redheaded girl.

"Katie." He said through his laughter.

"No Katie. Hiccup is my boyfriend." Astrid explained. "We're. Not married." She faltered over the sentence, not used to using the term marriage in any conversation about herself.

"Allright you lot, enough questions. Let's get to it." Gobber had stopped laughing enough to call some order to the group, and the children hurried over to the long jump runway to begin their warm up. Gobber following them, but not before walking past Astrid and Hiccup and muttering "marriage" out of the side of his mouth.

* * *

><p>Gobber ran the session differently with the younger athletes. Some of them were only 9 or 10, so instead of sending them into dedicated drills or sprints, he set out some mini-hurdles, turning the entire thing into a game, the drill was something that the kids learnt unconsciously, their competitive spirit showing when Gobber told them that if they could step over the hurdles with their knees held as high as possible then they could have some races at the end of training. Gobber gave Hiccup authority over some of the older, more advanced athletes, the ones who were more physically competent and mentally mature enough to handle a more specific training session. But Hiccup still dulled down the cues he gave them, telling them to imagine holding a bucket of water on their foot to get them to lift their toes, or to balance a cup of tea on their knee to get their limbs to the right height. The girls naturally gravitated towards Astrid, her good looks and her patient nature a good mix when it came to dealing with children. Hiccup even noticed some of the boys sneaking glances at her a few times. At the end of the session, as promised, Gobber let the group have some races, scaling it back again, giving the under 12's 20 metres and the older ones the usual 40. The younger children went first, arms flailing, legs flying all over the place, and on the sidelines, Astrid muttered to Hiccup under her breath.<p>

"What's your professional analysis of their technique?" Hiccup, arms folded, didn't look at her as he answered, watching the kids cross the finish line with Gobber cheering like it was the Olympic final.

"Knees could come higher." He said, borrowing Gobbers favourite phrase. Then the older children went, even more serious than the younger ones. "Oh look out. Here we go." Gobber called the start and they took off, slightly more coordinated than their younger counterparts. They threw themselves across the finish line, Gobber calling out first, second and third.

"They're pretty quick." Hiccup commented, arms still folded, a surprised expression on his face. Astrid looked at his posture and mimicked him.

"What's this? Your power stance or something?" She asked, and as Hiccup turned his head to face her, he noticed her stance and looked down at his own. Realising what she was doing, he played along.

"What, this? Something like that, I rather enjoy having this authority and power."

"Pfft. They listen to me more than they listen to you." Astrid said, letting her arms drop and facing the track again.

"Only because you're better looking than I am." Hiccup retorted, sticking his tongue out at her.

"And don't you forget it." She grinned. Over on the other side of the track, Gobber had gathered all of the athletes and was running through some sort of talk.

"-you've got to practice if you want to be the best. See Mr and Mrs Hiccup over there?" He said, pointing at the two of them. "They're going to nationals in a couple of months. They're really good. Hey you two!" He called out, and they looked up at him as he waved them over. After they arrived he continued speaking. "Why don't you show everyone how good you have to be to be at national level." It wasn't a suggestion and they shrugged, walking over down the track to the start of the hundred metres. As they walked, Gobber asked the group, "who do you think will win?" A chorus of "Hiccup" and "Astrid" answered him and he chuckled before motioning for the assembled juniors to watch as he called out the start sequence.

"Take your marks. Set...GO!" Hiccup shot out of the blocks, slightly ahead of Astrid, and try as she might, she couldn't catch him, her training more suited to the longer, middle distance races rather than these shorter sprints. But he slowed down as he approached the finish line, and she took the opportunity to fly past him, competitive as ever. The kids immediately erupted into an argument about who was the victor.

"Astrid won!"

"Nuh-uh. Mr. Hiccup slowed down!"

"Miss Astrid crossed the line first!"

Gobber was calming them down as Hiccup and Astrid approached, panting slightly.

"See that guys? And girls? You've got a but of work to do if you want to catch up to these two." The assembled group nodded, and Gobber decided to call it a day. "Allright then, we're done. Go home, get some rest, and I'll see you again on Thursday." The kids called out goodbye as they left the track, stopping to say goodbye to Hiccup and Astrid too before finding their parents in the stands and leaving. Gobber began to pick up the hurdles and cones laid out during the session, and his two assistants helped out before they too called it a day and went home.


	35. Chapter 35

**I'm so sorry.**

* * *

><p>The two of them settled into their new routine quickly. The earlier training sessions made it seem like they were able to fit more into their day, even if they only managed to keep the younger athletes under control for the next hour. The weather began to warm up too, even if only by a few degrees as March arrived. Morning sessions were still cold enough to justify long pants and hoodies, but by the time the afternoon rolled around, it was quite pleasant to stand around in regular running clothes. Astrid was still the crowd favourite, but Hiccup managed to earn brownie points one day when he brought Toothless to the track one day. Like he had proven with Jack, Toothless was a hit with the kids, he was almost as tall as the youngest ones, and the oldest among them were brave enough to give him a belly rub when he rolled over after Hiccup began scratching him with the toe of his shoe. Unfortunately mid-semester exams were also upon them, Hiccup and Astrid were to sit theirs a early, seeing as they would be away during the actual examination period. As such, if they weren't training or coaching, they were studying, either at the college library or at one of their houses. The combination of the two, particularly with Gobber ramping up the intensity of their training in the lead up to competition, was rather draining. One day they decided to take a break from studying, "it's like tapering for a race" Astrid insisted, so they called into Fishlegs' house. Fish and Ruff were sitting at a table they had dragged into the living room while Tuff and Scott had managed to get away from work for a bit, glad to be able to catch up with their friends again. Surprisingly the volume on the TV was not at an ear-shattering level, apparently Fish had told them that if it got too loud while he studied then his house would be off limits until further notice. Fish and Ruff finished their self-allocated study for the day and put away their textbooks soon after Astrid and Hiccup arrived. At which point the volume went back up again.<p>

"I wish I was sitting my exams early." Fish moaned to Hiccup as they sat watching the latest deathmatch. Boys vs. Girls, with Ruff and Astrid teaming up against Scott and Tuff. A fairly one-sided battle in anyones book.

"No you don't. I always hated exams." Hiccup said, looking at Astrid as she cursed after being assassinated.

"Have you ever failed a test in your life?" Fish argued.

"…nope."

"So what are you worried about?"

"This is why I took an apprenticeship." Scott put in from his spot on the floor, not looking back at them. "No exams, paid to learn, it's all good."

"I can't argue with that." Hiccup replied. "But some of us chose to go to college."

"Stupid idea." Scott replied as he pummelled Ruffs character with the butt of his rifle. Watching the ensuing cursing and accusations of cheating between the female twin and his cousin, Hiccup sighed.

"Something wrong?" Fish asked, ever attuned to his friends mood.

"Nervous? Unsure of myself?" Hiccup answered the question with another question.

"You've never failed an exam or a test before Hiccup. You'll be fine."

"It's not that." Hiccup began. "It's…what happens afterwards. I've got Nationals in less than three weeks and another year of this stuff to go." Fish nodded as he saw Hiccups point.

"True. But you'll do fine at Nationals. And you're nearly done. It's only a year."

"Easy to say now. You, Ruff and Astrid all finish at the end of this year." Hiccup retorted.

"Just hang in there Hiccup." Fish said kindly, then he changed the subject to try and distract his friend. "How are you finding coaching the young ones?" Hiccup looked over at his friend as he answered.

"_Young ones? _Jeez Fish you make it sound like I'm Master Yoda or something." They shared a laugh and Hiccup continued. "But no, in all honesty it's going well. I enjoy it, the kids don't seem to mind me. Kind of wish I was paid for it though." Fish mused over what Hiccups comment, but he was interrupted by a particularly loud bang and more cursing as Astrid scored a lucky shot on Tuff.

As Fish predicted, Hiccup sat his exams and would later find out that he had passed with flying colours. As usual. Astrid sat hers as well and like Hiccup, would later learn that she had passed spectacularly. Hiccup gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek as she walked out of the exam room.

"Congratulations. Now all we need to do is make the national team." Astrid was a pleasantly surprised by Hiccups kiss, but she nodded as they started walking.

"Yeah, final session with the kids tonight." They were due to leave the coming weekend, and since Gobber was going with them there wasn't going to be any junior training for a few weeks.

"Maybe we should get them to come down with us." Hiccup joked. "They'd make a good cheer team."

"I get louder cheers though." Astrid said, slinging her arm around Hiccups waist as he slid his own arm over her shoulders.

* * *

><p>"Well done guys." Gobber spoke to the group at large as they gathered together later that night. "Now, you know there's no training for three weeks while we're away. So it's up to you if you want to train by yourselves during that time." The junior athletes were a little sad that their seniors were going away, but they wished them good luck as they departed. After they were gone, Gobber turned to his two athletes.<p>

"Rested?" They nodded. "Exams done?" Another nod. "Ready to go?" This time there was a non-committal hand gesture and _ehhh_ from Hiccup, and Gobber clapped him on the shoulder. "You'll be okay Hiccup. Nothing different from New Years. Except for higher calibre athletes."

"Thank you, for summing that up." Hiccup answered sarcastically.

"You're both in better shape than you were then, so you _will_ be okay." Gobber said, before shooing them off the track and out to the carpark. Hiccup dropped Astrid home, and before she got out of the car she leant across and gave him kiss on the lips.

"We'll be okay." She said.

"We?"

"Yes "we". I'm as nervous as you are."

"You sure don't show it." Hiccup muttered.

"Years of practice." She smirked. "But what everyone says is true. You _are _in better shape, you've got an extra four months of training and experience. All you need to do now is go and kick Daniel's ass."

"You said that last time."

"And you can actually do it this time too."

"I feel a little better now." Hiccup smiled. "I'll see you on Saturday at the airport." Astrid nodded and got out, shutting the door behind her and Hiccup beeped the horn as he drove off.

He didn't make it home.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry. Please don't hate me.<strong>


	36. Chapter 36

**Shoutout to TheChickWithTheAwesomeUsername and Pegueng for notifying me of the double post/missing chapters earlier. My apologies for that. To my knowledge that mistake has been fixed, and we can now continue. I was going to wait a little longer to update this particular section, but people want to know what happens, and I can't deny you guys that now can I?**

* * *

><p>It wasn't his fault. Another driver ran a red light, speeding through an intersection about ten minutes away from Astrids house. Hiccup was accelerating from a stop as the other car came flying down on the drivers side, they collided with the nose of the car it was spun off the road, coming to rest near the lights. Windows smashed, Hiccup unconscious in the front, blood coming from his face. The paramedics had to cut him out, the front portion of the car had collapsed and been pushed inwards, trapping his lower left leg. And then he was in the back of the ambulance, then he was being wheeled through the halls of the hospital, towards the ER. And the doctors spent an hour on him. Tending to his ribs, bruised from the impact, the cuts and grazes on his face and neck from the exploding glass. And his leg. His leg was utterly mangled. Everything from the ankle down a mess of protruding bone and flesh, sliced open by metal and crushed by the sheer weight of everything that had fallen on top of it. The surgeon sighed and shook his head as he picked up the tool. He hated this part of his job. And the explaining that came after it. Gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the sounds to come, he started up the electric saw.<p>

* * *

><p>Astrid was sitting in her room the next morning. A Friday. Travel bag open in front of her as she went over everything in her head to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything.<p>

"Running gear, spare clothes, track shoes…" She muttered to herself. Then her mobile rang. Not recognising the number she swiped and answered.

"Hello?"

"Astrid?"

"Speaking. Who is this?" She asked.

"It's Scott. I got your number off Stoick and Valka, sorry."

"It's okay." Astrid replied, wondering why Scott was calling her. "Listen Scott, this better not be a jok-"

"Hiccup's been in an accident." Maybe Scott's voice was distorted through the phone or something. But she couldn't have heard him right. Even so her heart beat a little faster.

"…What?"

"Hiccups been in an accident. I don't know any details except that he's up at the hospital now." She wished it was a joke. This had to be a joke. It was Scott. He was playing jokes on her like he used to do with Hiccup.

"Scott. This isn't funny."

"Astrid, I'm dead serious. He didn't get home last night. Someone tried to ring you but you didn't pick up. We thought he was with you." Astrid quickly tapped her phone, Scott on hold as she opened up her call log. Sure enough, there were three missed calls from Hiccups home number at 10.03pm, 10.20pm and 10.23pm. If her heart was beating fast before, it was virtually palpitating now. She put Scott back on, her hands shaking as she put the phone back to her ear.

"Astrid? Are you still there. Everyone's at the hospital."

"I'm coming." She said, not trusting herself to speak anymore. She hung up and found Hiccups number. Dialling it and waiting for him to pick up, she practically ran out of her room, looking for her father. Why wasn't he picking up? Her father looked up as she burst into the living room.

"Astrid?" Brandt asked, a little shocked at his daughters sudden appearance. Hiccups voicemail. This wasn't happening.

"I need you to drive me to the h-hospital." She said, voice trembling.

"Why?" Her father asked, getting out of his seat and pulling his car keys out of his pocket.

"Hiccup." She managed the one word, not wanting to say anything else, because it would mean that Scott was telling the truth. Without another word she followed her father out to his pickup as she dialled Hiccups number again.

* * *

><p>The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever. The route took her past Hiccups house, and her heart sank further when she saw no cars in the driveway. Finally, after an eternity, which was in truth only 20 minutes, they reached the hospital and she was out of the car before Brandt had taken the keys out of the ignition. She moved quickly through reception, and it took all of her willpower not to break into a run as she searched for a familiar face. Her father followed behind her, far back enough to give her space, but close enough to be there instantly if anything should happen. Astrid headed towards the Intensive Care Unit, some small voice of logic telling her that if anything <em>had <em>happened, she'd find him and his family there. But she hoped, willed,_ prayed_ that she wouldn't find anything. Following the signs she came to a door and she pushed open the latch, and her heart almost stopped. Stoick and Valka were there, seated in those horribly uncomfortable plastic chairs that all hospitals seemed to use. Scott was there too but he wasn't seated, instead he leaned against the wall as if waiting to walk out onto the field for another football game. Stoick and Valka looked like they'd aged ten years since Astrid had seen them last. Valkas eyes were bloodshot and swollen, she'd been crying. Hard. Stoick didn't look much better. He might have clung to some fatalistic ideal that men shouldn't cry, but even his eyes were tinged with red, and his face looked hollow, almost shell-shocked. Scott was stony faced, trying to maintain the same pride as his uncle, his eyes showed no sign of tears but he looked haunted.

"What happened?" Astrid asked, wanting answers. Stoick and Valka didn't move, but Scott shrugged off the wall and motioned gently for her to follow him. Further down the hall, out of earshot of Hiccups parents, Scott reiterated what he had said on the phone.

"Car crash. From what the paramedics say, he was sideswiped by some fucker running a red light. They had to cut him out, the other guy is being held by the cops." Fear threatened to engulf Astrid, and she gulped, forcing it down enough to continue talking.

"Is he okay?" That same small voice of logic told her that no, he wasn't okay. That's why they were in the hospital. But she refused to acknowledge it.

"He's unconscious in the ICU right now. The doctor was out just before you arrived. Bruised ribs, concussion. A few scratches and cuts from the glass. And-" Scotts voice hitched as he reached the end of his sentence, and the fear Astrid had been fighting to subdue returned with a vengeance.

"And-?" She prompted, almost wishing that Scott wouldn't answer her. He took a deep breath to calm himself a little before going on.

"His leg. It was trapped by the body of the car. They didn't give us many details. But they said it was crushed beyond repair, and they…they. Removed it."

"They remov-." Astrid didn't finish her sentence, instead she turned and retched into the nearest garbage bin, sick at the thought. Whatever had been in her stomach was soon gone and Scott said nothing as she dry-heaved, coughing and gasping. Then slowly her retches turned to sobs, and suddenly she was shaking uncontrollably, crying and wanting to wake up from this nightmare.


	37. Chapter 37

The first day after the accident, that Friday. That was the worst. Trying to deny the reality that Hiccup wasn't with them at that moment. Instead he was lying on a gurney in the ICU, all manner of tubes and masks hooked up to him, sending information to, and being regulated by, a startling number of machines that sat on wheeled trolleys next to his bed. Only a door separated him from his parents and Astrid, but it seemed like miles. Stoick and Valka eventually managed to fall into a disturbed sleep, the discomfort of the chairs endured in the hope of news from the doctors. Astrid joined them in their vigil, across the aisle from them at first, but Valka insisted that she come over and sit with them. The two women shared a hug and Valka expressed her gratitude towards Astrid for being there, before the silence resumed and all they could hear was the murmur of voices and beeping of machines. Brandt stayed as long as he could, making a trip to the cafeteria to bring back some generic hospital coffee and sandwiches, but they remained untouched on an empty seat. Finally though Brandt had to leave and check up on Emma and Jack, and he reluctantly left the four of them sitting in silence once more.

* * *

><p>Fishlegs and the twins arrived just before lunch. Fishlegs was ashen-faced and even the twins, with their usually dark sense of humour were stunned as Scott explained again. For the first time in her life, Astrid was grateful for Scotts presence. She didn't think she could cope with having to try and describe what had happened, the waiting alone was bad enough. The twins immediately left to look for a doctor or a nurse, demanding answers.<p>

"Why hasn't he woken up yet?"

"Why can't you do anything?"

"How is he going to run without his leg?"

Their shouting echoed throughout the ward and Astrid felt physically sick again as she overheard that particular question. She hadn't spared a thought for Hiccup's athletic career up until that point, but the twins were right. How was Hiccup going to recover from this? Even if he did, he'd be a classed as a disabled athlete. There was no way he'd be selected for nationals now. Despite their concern, Ruff and Fish had to leave a little later. College stopped for no-one. Not that either of them payed any attention in class that day. Tuff left just as Gobber arrived, all thoughts of travel and training and competition gone as he strode into the waiting room. Catching sight of the grim faced group, he walked over, his false leg suddenly very prominent in Astrids mind.

"How is he?" He asked the obligatory question.

"Still unconscious." To everyone's surprise, Stoick answered him, looking up from his seat. Gently, he shifted Valka's sleeping head off his shoulder and stood up. Before anyone could say anything, he stepped forward and embraced Gobber, old friends finding comfort in each others presence. The two big men stood there for a moment, and in any other situation it would have been a rather nice scene, these two tough, hard men embracing each other. But for now, all it meant was someone else to share the pain with. As they stepped back, Gobber took his own seat, silence the only constant companion in that cold, sterile-smelling ward.

* * *

><p>The second day they moved Hiccup into his own room, declaring him stable. They were able to see him for a short while, and the sight of Hiccup, unconscious and hooked up to too many machines to count, was a slap in the face on top of everything else. But he was alive. Stoick took Valka home after that, Scott accompanying them. They only lived ten minutes away, and Gobber promised to call them with any news. Despite her protests, Valka had eventually gave in and conceded the need for sleep, leaving Astrid and Gobber alone. Toothless needed to be cared for too. But soon Gobber also had to leave, saying something about calling the national office to do some talking. And then it was Astrid by herself, sitting next to Hiccups prone form in his room, accompanied only by the smell of disinfectant and the constant <em>deet-deet <em>of the machines. The ever present machines. She fell asleep that night, being up for 36 hours straight eventually taking its toll on her, and she dozed, curled up in one of the slightly more comfortable armchairs that surrounded Hiccups bed. She jerked awake every now and then, looking around to catch her bearings before her eyes fell on Hiccup and she slowly accepted that this wasn't a dream. Her parents dropped in too, bringing some more palatable food and asking her if she wanted to come home and sleep. But she refused, she wouldn't leave until she heard his voice again. They nodded sadly, Jack gurgling away like there wasn't a problem with the world, and she smiled tiredly at her brother, glad for that one small sense of normality. Her parents went home after visiting hours were over, the nurses could have tried, but Astrid wouldn't have moved. They didn't bother though, some higher power passing word down the chain that she was allowed to stay. Stoick and Valka hadn't returned yet, Astrid reasoning that they were probably deep asleep after the stress of the past two days. As she sat there in the dim light of Hiccups bedside table, nibbling at whatever it was that her mother had prepared, she let her mind wander in ways she had tried to ignore for the past months.

_"Come on Hiccup. Wake up. Everyone's waiting. We need you. I need you." _She thought to herself, and as she did, she realised that she meant it. However hard she tried, she couldn't deny to herself that she needed this boy in her life. This tall, grudgingly handsome, awkward yet adorable boy. She cast her thoughts back over the events that had transpired between them since that first day at college. The easy flirting, the training, the group gatherings, the travelling, the feeling of racing and winning. All of it, she realised, were memories associated with Hiccup If someone had told her a few years ago that at twenty years old, she'd be in love, she would have laughed and then gone running. But now, in that tiny room, as Hiccup lay unconscious a few feet away from her, she accepted the fact that she loved this young man. And if she lost him then she wouldn't ever be the same. They might have only truly been friends, then partners, for less than a year, but the thought that she might have really lost him in the crash scared her, and strengthened her need for him to wake up. Confused, slightly embarrassed, and very tired, the beeping of the machines, macabre as it might be, lulled her into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

><p>It was bright behind his closed eyelids. He didn't remember getting into bed. And since when was his bed this uncomfortable? Where was Toothless? Squinting a little as he opened his eyes, the first thing Hiccup saw was a strange ceiling. This wasn't his room. Looking around he took in the details. The window. The machines. Where did that tube go? Oh, it was in his arm. Why was there a tube in his arm? And why was it hard to breathe? He tried to sit up, but the sudden pain in his ribs quickly put an end to that attempt. Looking around again for the bed remote, there had to be one right? he spotted Astrid. Curled up into a ball in a rather large armchair, she looked decidedly uncomfortable, and Hiccup wondered aloud.<p>

"How on earth can you sleep like that?"

As he said it, she stirred, uncurling and stretching out with a loud, incomprehensible noise. Yawning, she looked around and then froze as she saw him. Awake, conscious, looking at her. Not quite sure if she was still asleep, she wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

"Hiccup?" She sounded nervous, unsure of herself.

"Hey." He replied, grinning at her again. And it seemed so normal, so like him. And she settled for crying. Crying as the stress of the past few days came crashing down on her. Crying that he was still with them. Crying that he was awake and she hadn't lost him.

"Whoa, did I miss something?"


	38. Chapter 38

"I mean, I know I'm not a pretty sight first thing in the morning, but I'm not that bad looking am I?" Hiccup asked, not sure why his girlfriend was crying. And through her tears, she laughed a little. A hiccup.

"Yes that's me." He said. And she laughed again.

"Shut up." She said, wiping her eyes. She didn't realise how badly she'd missed this sort of easy conversation. It might have only been three days, but they had been the longest three days of her life.

"Um, so do you want to tell me why the hell I'm in a hospital bed attached to this thing?" Hiccup asked, waving his free arm at the canula.

"I will. But I need to make a phone call first." Astrid answered, the gravity of the situation coming back to her. Hiccup shrugged as best he could and nodded, and she got up, pulling her phone out of her pocket and walking over to the window as she waited for the line to connect.

"Hello?" Valkas tired voice came through the earpiece, sounding drowsy but suddenly very nervous at the same time.

"Valka, it's me. He's awake." Astrid listened silently to the various scuffles and hurried conversation that indicated Valka was waking Stoick and Scott.

"We'll be there in five minutes." Valka said briskly, and the line went dead.

"It's a ten minute drive." Hiccup said, looking at her from his bed as she put her phone away and sat on the edge of his bed. Evidently he'd been paying close attention.

"They're in a hurry." Astrid said simply.

"What did you mean I'm awake? How long have I been out?"

"Three days." Hiccup looked startled.

"But that means we missed our flight. We're supposed to be at Nationals. What's going on?" Astrids face fell as she looked at him.

"It's a bit of a story. Can it wait until your parents get here?" She looked genuinely upset, and Hiccup nodded quietly.

* * *

><p>A commotion outside the room caused both the occupants to look towards the door.<p>

"Sounds like dad's here." Hiccup muttered, and Astrid almost laughed again. Sure enough, a few moments later, the door was flung open and Stoick stood there, almost filling the entire doorway with his size. He took one look at Hiccup, sitting up, conscious, and alive, before stepping forward to embrace his son, who flinched in pain.

"Ow. Dad. That kind of hurts." He managed to gasp out, and Stoick jumped back as he remembered. While this was happening, Scott and Valka had entered the room behind him, albeit a little less dramatically, and Valka drank in the scene before her as the two most important people in her life shared a moment. Then she forgot about decorum and formalities and stepped forward to hug her son fiercely, although she was mindful of his ribs. Hiccup hugged her back as best he could with the canula in his arm as he felt moisture on his shoulder and realised his mother was crying.

"It's okay mom." He said, patting her on the back gently. "I'm right here." Valka stayed where she was for a while, reassuring herself that her son was in fact hugging her. After she was done she stepped back and took a seat, slightly weak at the knees. Scott, ever the tough guy, leaned on the door frame, arms crossed.

"Good to see you awake little cuz." He said, but he did look very relieved, and a lot better than the previous day.

"Scott? Being nice? Did I die or something?" Hiccup joked, but he realised that he might not have said the right thing as everybody in the room fell deadly silent.

"Okay...tough crowd." Hiccup muttered to himself.

"You gave it your best shot." Stoick said, standing next to his Valka, and for a moment she looked haunted. Like she'd heard the news all over again.

"Would you like to elaborate?" Hiccup asked.

"You were in a car crash." Astrid said, and Hiccup looked back at her, still sitting on his bed.

"I was?"

"Sure were." Scott said. "You did a good job. The twins would be proud of the destruction."

"Allright then..." Hiccup trailed off, unsure of how to continue. At that moment though, the doctor walked in, and upon seeing Hiccup conscious and lucid, he began speaking.

"Ah, Mr. Haddock. Glad to see you're awake. My name is Dr. Frederick. Now then, I just have a few questions. Routine things. How are you feeling?"

"Besides the knock to the head, what feels like several cuts on my face and the bruised ribs. Fine." Hiccup replied, and Frederick balked for a moment, clearly not expecting such an answer.

"Right. Well, that clears all that up. I was supposed to check for any signs of lasting damage from the concussion, but you appear to be just fine. A remarkable self-diagnosis." He said, flicking through his papers, then his shoulders dropped slightly. "There was one more thing..."

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"...Your left foot. From the ankle down, it had to be amuptated. I'm sorry, truly."

"But it's still there. I can feel it." Hiccup insisted, looking down at where his foot should have been. But when he saw the flat, smooth surface of the bedsheets where his foot should have been, he said nothing. Just tried to process what his brain was telling him and what his eyes were seeing.

"When your car was hit by the other, the impact caused the front of your car to crumple and collapse in on itself. In the process it trapped your leg and crushed it. There wasn't anything we could have done to save it. Surgery or not. We don't know how your other leg was spared, but it was. I'm sorry. What you're experiencing now is 'phantom sensation'. The sensation of feeling from your, missing, limb. I wish I didn't have to ask you such questions so soon, but can you feel any pain or other discomfort?"

"No." Hiccup said. He sounded dead, hollow and devoid of emotion, and it broke the hearts of everybody in the room.

"Hiccup-" Astrid went to speak, but Hiccup just closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then looked back up at the doctor, who looked deeply troubled. This part of the job never got any easier.

"Well, that's something." The Frederick replied. "The other possibility was phantom pain, which would have been much more unpleasant."

"Thank you." Those two words, while normally sincere and hearfelt, carried nothing but pain and apathy behind them. The doctor looked at the young man in the bed, truly sorry for the circumstances he found himself in. There was a different atmosphere than the joyous and relieved one that had been present a few minutes before. The silence returned again, if possible even more uncomfortable than the silence of the waiting room had been. Shortly after the nurse arrived, a gentle natured woman, identified as _Lillian _by her name tag. She approached Hiccups bed, looking simultaneously uncomfortable and falsely cheery.

"I'm sorry sir, but I have to check your leg. Make sure there is no sign of infection." Stoick made a movement, about to protest this sudden development, ready to argue that his son was not ready, but Hiccup waved him down.

"Dad. Leave it. Just get it over with." He addressed the last part towards Lillian, and while he hadn't intended to sound so harsh, his current maelstrom of emotion didn't leave much room for empathy. She nodded sadly, gently rolling back the covers. In any other situation, Astrid would have been slightly excited, Hiccup, in bed, the covers drawn back. And despite herself, she was a little jealous that it was the nurse who was exposing Hiccup. How strange that she had only really started having those thoughts just a few weeks ago. But no, this wasn't the time, and all she felt was a now familiar sinking sensation in her stomach. The covers went back, His torso, still covered in bandages, someone had dressed him in hospital bottoms which were revealed bit by bit. His legs, knees, shins. And then his left leg just. Stopped. The hospital pants limp and unsupported by anything. Lillian rolled back the pant leg, revealing a rounded bandage that covered the bottom of Hiccups, stump. Then, with gentle but nimble fingers, and under the doctors watchful eye, she unclipped the bandage and unwound it. The bottom of Hiccups shin began to widen out, as if looking for the missing ankle joint and foot, but then it was just empty air. A lump of flesh and skin with a neat line of stitches across the bottom. The surgeons had done a wonderful job. Well, what passed for wonderful in the current circumstances. The amputation was clean, but the limb looked swollen and inflamed, which the doctor explained was a natural thing

"Immediately after surgery, this is to be expected." He said, indicating the swollen limb. "But with time, the swelling will reduce as your muscles and tissue begins to heal."

"And how long will that take?" Valka asked, speaking for the first time, she couldn't help but cast her mind back to the day she'd had to amputate Toothless' back leg.

"With pain medication, it shouldn't take much longer than three to four weeks until you are able to be fitted with a prosthetic and return to some semblance of normal mobility."

"What about running? When can he run again?" Stoick asked, and Hiccup was grateful to his father. That was the one thing he had been concerned about. How soon?

"That, is a more complicated matter." Frederick began. "Depending on the severity of the pain within the coming months, and mostly on your own willpower Mr. Haddock, it's not unreasonable to believe that you may run again within six months." For the first time, Astrid felt some sort of hope for Hiccup's athletic prowess.

"That's not too bad." She said, making an attempt at being cheerful. "We can always go to nationals next year. It just gives us an extra year to train." She looked at him hopefully, but he was still stony faced and silent, and all he could do was nod. Frederick decided that Hiccup had enough to deal with for one day, and he indicated to the nurse to re-wrap his leg, and they left the room.

"I'll leave you alone. The nurses will bring your pain medication when needed, and please let us know if there is anything else we can do." He said as he shut the door behind him. Silence pervaded the room once again. Always the silence. But it was broken as Valka asked her son gently.

"Do you want anything dear?" She sounded cautious, as if unsure about how he would react.

"Toothless. I want to see Toothless." Hiccup said, and as she nodded, he continued. "And I want to talk to Gobber."


	39. Chapter 39

Animals weren't allowed inside the hospital, but they were permitted on the grounds outside. Stoick and Valka drove home and returned later with Toothless, who was straining at his leash and panting like he'd just run a mile to go and see Hiccup. Scott found a spare wheelchair and brought it into Hiccups room, he and Astrid had offered to help, but Hiccup, being Hiccup, was stubborn and insisted that he could maneuver himself into the contraption. The pulse reader on his finger stayed behind and the drip came out too as Hiccup pushed himself out of his room and towards the elevators. He was suddenly very conscious of what he looked like, flanked by Scott and Astrid, and he hated it. Despite himself though, he couldn't help but feel a little better as he heard Toothless barking, and as he came into view, Stoick walked over with him and Toothless immediately put his front paws in Hiccups lap and licked his face.

"Eugh. Good to see you too bud." Hiccup murmured through the drool. Toothless dropped back onto his three legs, tail wagging, then paused as he noticed Hiccups missing leg. Gently the canine extended his head, sniffing the stump. "I guess we match now huh?" Hiccup sounded sad, but also a little brighter now that he was back with his old friend. Toothless let out a low whine before forgetting exactly how big he was and jumping up in Hiccups lap. Hiccup let out an _oof _as his friend settled down, thankfully he had missed the bruised ribs. His hind leg and head were extended over the arms of the wheelchair, but for the most part, Toothless was now a very big lapdog.

"I called Gobber on the way here too." Stoick said, and Hiccup looked up from where he was scratching Toothless behind the ears. "He's on his way."

"Thanks dad." Hiccup said quietly. Valka had made a pit stop at the cafe and brought back some more sandwiches and juice, and this time they disappeared quickly, everyone digging in, ravenous after the days of waiting and worrying. Scott even managed to find room for seconds, then thirds and fourths.

"Where do you put it all?" Astrid asked, quite content after one sandwich and a juice.

"I'm a growing boy." Scott answered as he finished his last bite.

"Growing outwards maybe." Hiccup muttered, and Astrid covered her mouth as she giggled.

* * *

><p>Gobber arrived shortly after to find Toothless still in Hiccups lap, Astrid sitting next to him. Scott had finally returned to work with Stoick, now certain that Hiccup was out of trouble, Valka had stayed behind for the day. Gobber shook Hiccups hand as he sat down.<p>

"Good to see you awake." He said, looking around in hope of some leftover sandwiches.

"Scott already ate them all." Hiccup told him, and Gobber looked slightly disappointed.

"Oh, nevermind then. How are you holding up?" Hiccups face fell slightly, but his tone was unwavering.

"Fine for now. I'll have to take some more painkillers soon though. The nurse gave me some before I left the room." He pulled a small bottle out of his pocket, reaching under Toothless who still refused to move and flicked the cap open, swallowing two pills with a sip of juice.

"How long till you get one of these?" Gobber asked, tapping his prosthetic leg.

"About three or four weeks. Depending on the pain and how it heals." Hiccup answered, and Gobber nodded.

"That's not bad. It took me a few months before they could find the time to fit mine. But that was before you were born too."

"What am I going to do with running?" Hiccup asked, discarding the formalities and asking the question that had been on his mind since he had seen his leg. Astrid leaned forward, also wanting to hear, and Gobber nodded slowly, expecting this sort of thing.

"That depends. It'll be about what, three months or so until you're at a stage where you can actually run?" Hiccup nodded, and Gobber continued. "Well in that case, if you want to, it's perfectly acceptable to believe that you can start back training as soon as possible."

"But what about nationals?" Hiccup asked desperately. "Please don't tell me that everything I've done for the past four months has been for nothing."

"In the grand scheme of things, four months is nothing." Gobber said, but seeing the look on Hiccups face, he reassured him. "But. You managed to improve that much in such a short time, it'll be a setback, and you won't be as fit as you were back then. But within a year for sure, you can get back to where you were."

"What's going to happen to his racing?" Astrid asked, and both men looked at her. "He's...classified as a disabled athlete now isn't he?" Hiccup knew she didn't mean any insult, and he held her hand and gave it a squeeze to show it as they looked back at Gobber.

"Not necessarily." Hiccup and Astrids eyes widened and their hearts lifted as the listened. "It's not. Impossible. That you will be able to race as an able bodied athlete. If you're fitted with the right prosthetic, one that doesn't give you any sort of advantage over an actual leg, then the powers that be may allow you to race. It's only your foot, not your entire leg. No offence." Hiccup waved his hand to show he wasn't offended and waited for Gobber to keep talking. "But."

"Always a 'but'." Astrid muttered.

"There will be opposition to you. On and off the track. Usually they argue that having a prosthetic gives you an unfair advantage because it's lighter, moves faster and allows you to expend less energy. However that particular argument is still up for debate. You remember those last Olympics where that double-amputee was allowed to run?" They nodded. "That was a five year case, constantly in and out of the courts as they found new evidence for or against him." Hiccups face fell again. He couldn't wait five years could he? "It also depends on the level of competition you want to achieve. A club race wouldn't be a problem, it'd be a novelty. State would be slightly more difficult. Nationals more difficult again. I'll see what I can do. I still have a few contacts at the head office." Hiccup and Astrid nodded, they'd have to accept that for now.

"What are you going to do about your college?" Valka asked quietly, and all three heads turned to face her.

"I-I hadn't given it any thought." Hiccup admitted.

"Are you just going to abandon study completely?" Hiccup looked down again at Toothless' snoozing form, really wishing that this particular conversation wasn't happening.

"No. But-"

"How did you find coaching Hiccup?" Gobber asked suddenly, looking thoughtful.

"I enjoyed it. It was fun." Hiccup said without hesitation.

"Well then, how about this. Valka?" Gobber looked Hiccups mother, asking for unspoken permission to continue, and she gestured for him to go on.

"If. _If. _You decide that, maybe college isn't your thing, then I might be able to arrange some form of contract for you at the Academy." Gobber had everyone's attention as he spoke. "We have some very good sports physiotherapists and psychologists there, and we're also about to advertise for another junior coaching assistant. But if you decide to come on board, we'll give you the job. The pay's not amazing, and you'll have to learn the finer points, but you could do it. And we'll also monitor your recovery and progress. If you want to go to Nationals, it might be easier for the head office to keep tabs on you while you're with us as well." Astrid and Valka were stunned into silence at this proposition, but Hiccup was cautious.

"Can you do that?" He asked.

"If I can argue that you have National level potential, prove that it's worth investing their time and resources in you as an athlete, then yes. They already know about your work with the Monday juniors, so that shouldn't be a hassle." Hiccup was shocked. He had heard the saying that when you're at your lowest point, the only way is up. But this seemed like something else entirely, it was almost too good to be true.

"If you can do it Gobber. I'll take it." Hiccup said, ecstatic that he had a path to follow now.

"Do you have a problem with that Valka?" Gobber asked, and Hiccup swiveled to face her, pleading silently for her to agree.

"No problems here." She said, and Hiccups heart soared. "If you have the potential, and you enjoy it, then go for it." She smiled at her son, who hadn't looked this happy since the day he walked off the plane with Astrid.

"Right then. That's sorted, so I better take my leave. I've got some talking to do." Gobber stood up, shaking Hiccups hand and rubbing Toothless' head, turning away with a wave, and Astrid gave Hiccup a hug, despite having to lean over Toothless.


	40. Chapter 40

For Hiccup, the next few weeks blurred into one indistinguishable timeline. If he wasn't sleeping or bored out of his mind, he was in physical therapy, undergoing massage or some other form of treatment. The surgeon really was good. Hiccups tibia had been saved during the surgery, so his leg bone didn't just suddenly end and risk pressing against skin or the sleeve that he was given to cover up the incision. He wasn't experiencing any major nerve pain either.

"It tingles sometimes." He told the therapist. "A bit like pins and needles." After a couple of days on bed rest though, he was glad to be mobile again, even if it was in a wheelchair or heavily supported on crutches. Fish and the twins visited the day after Gobber, Fish looked relieved that his friend was as close to okay as he was going to get, and Ruff and Tuff were also glad to see him awake. Their normally dark sense of humour tactfully abandoned at this point. Well, until Tuff asked if Hiccup could get a gun installed as a fake leg.

"Like that girl from that movie...oh what was it?"

"Planet Terror?" Hiccup asked, and Tuff nodded.

"Yeah yeah. That one. Imagine that. Then you could just shoot your competition."

"I'm only missing my ankle and foot. Not my whole leg." Hiccup reminded him. "And I kind of think that killing of my competition would be classed as cheating." Astrid looked at Hiccup, surprised that he was taking this whole thing so light-heartedly. But then again, since Gobbers proposition, he had been significantly more positive. And why shouldn't he be? A job, the potential for another shot at Nationals, and he was still alive. Definitely not the worst situation to be in. She brought her thoughts back to the present as Ruff spoke up.

"Do you think they'd let us bring in our Xbox?"

* * *

><p>A little less than four weeks later, as promised, the swelling in Hiccups stump had normalised to the point where he was able to be fitted for a prosthetic.<p>

"Now you have a number of choices." The prosthetist told him as she sat in Hiccups room one day, Astrid was there as always, and a rather diverse assortment of artificial limbs were laid out on the floor. "If you want to retain an aesthetic appearance, there are a few options to choose from, depending on your activity level." She indicated a number of rather accurate fake feet. "Wear long pants, slip on your shoes and nobody will know the difference."

"I'm a 200 metre runner. So I'm rather active." Hiccup said, and the prosthetist nodded.

"Yes, I had been informed of that, I only wanted you to be aware of these options for everyday situations. When it comes to running..." She trailed off as she looked around. "This is the sort of thing you would be looking at." As she spoke, she picked up a black, sleek looking curve. At first all Hiccup saw was a slightly C-shaped piece of what appeared to be carbon. But as the prosthetist handed it to him and he got a closer look, he identified the technology and engineering prowess that had gone into the creation. Indeed it was shaped crudely like a C, but the angle became more extreme at the top of the curve, becoming almost flat.

_"That would be where it connects to my leg." _Hiccup thought to himself. Further inspection revealed that it was extremely light. There were short stubs of rubber already on the sole of the limb, and it appeared to be reinforced from the middle down. _"And that would be to absorb the impact of hitting the ground." _It was almost futuristic looking, like it belonged in a Star Wars movie. "Can I try it on?" He asked, and the prosthetist nodded, handing him a small cap with an attachment piece on the bottom, which she explained, was held onto his leg through vacuum technology. A tiny pump and exhaust valve in the limb cap removed the air between his leg and the liner of the cap, moulding it to his body and improving his circulation. Astrid looked simultaneously dubious about the prosthetist's explanation and impressed at the artificial foot.

"It's also the most appropriate attachment method for someone with an activity level such as yours." She said, and Hiccup nodded absently as he fiddled with the cap and the limb, working out how to attach and release it. A simple screw-in bolt held the 'foot' in place, and as he slid on the fitting cap, he immediately felt the pump working to remove the air between his leg and the cap, creating a suction effect that wasn't particularly uncomfortable. Getting up out of bed, he gingerly put weight on his new foot, hissing a little as pain shot through his still-tender nerve endings. Astrid was up in a heartbeat, under his shoulder and supporting him, with most of his weight now on her, Hiccup stood up again, standing as tall as possible, even if it was a little lopsided. After a moment though, he sat back down with a sigh, reaching down and unscrewing the bolt.

"Yes, you won't be able to run immediately on it. And it will take some time to get back to running at the capacity you are obviously used to." The prosthetist said from her spot in an armchair. "For now, I'd recommend getting used to just using the ordinary foot, then slowly edging back into your training." Hiccup took a breath, slightly downcast. He was eager to get back to training, but the reality was there was still a lot of pain management and experimenting to be done. Astrid gave him a hug, trying to comfort him as best she could.

"Hey, it just means that you do more core work in the meantime and get another awesome six-pack."

"I never took you to be so easily swayed by muscles.." Hiccup said, swapping over to his new aesthetic foot. This would take some getting used to.

"Only yours." Astrid replied.

* * *

><p>It wasn't all smooth sailing though. Like any situation in life there were ups and downs, and sometimes the downs seemed really, really bad. One day, soon after being allowed to go home, Hiccup woke up a little later than usual, and as he normally would, swung his legs out of bed and stood up. Of course, missing the bottom few inches of his leg tipped him off balance and he stumbled, putting more pressure on the stump than he was accustomed to at that point, and he fell in a heap, yelling in pain and cursing his life. His parents were at work already, as much as they would have liked to ignore it, their lives went on. As such, Hiccup found himself on the ground, in tears, Toothless beside him, sniffing and licking him worriedly. Eventually the pain subsided enough for Hiccup to move again and he hauled himself up, using his bed for support. Looking around in disgust for his foot, he picked it up and slid it on, hating the way the suction effect of the pump felt against his skin, hating the fact that he even had to <em>put on<em> a foot, hating everything about his missing limb. Toothless whined, putting his head on Hiccups bed and looking at his master sadly. Still seething, but calming down a little at his friends presence, Hiccup reached out and rubbed him on the head.

"Sorry for scaring you bud." He said sadly. "I don't know how you manage it sometimes." Toothless yipped quietly, licking Hiccups hand, and Hiccup gritted his teeth and stood up, heading for the kitchen, determined to maintain some sense of normality. That was how Astrid found them when she arrived shortly afterwards. Hiccup standing in the kitchen, Toothless waiting patiently for some scraps while also keeping a watchful eye on him, looking like they belonged in some sort of family movie.

"Morning babe." She said as she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning milady." Hiccup replied, he turned and gave her a quick kiss, but she sensed something was wrong and took a closer look at him. His eyes were slightly red and he looked drawn, like he was in pain. Or had been recently.

"You look like hell. Have you been crying?" She asked. Hiccup shook his head, but the Toothless' behavior and Hiccups' stony attitude told her otherwise. "It's okay to cry you know?" She said it gently, but Hiccup froze like he'd been stung. Cautiously, not wanting to alienate him, Astrid stepped forward and hugged him from behind. "What's wrong?" Hiccup was shaking, Astrid wasn't sure if he was angry or crying, but when he spoke it was a combination of both.

"I hate it." He said. "I got out of bed this morning, like any normal person would do. And do you know what happened? I fell over because one of my feet is no longer attached to my body." He was still shaking, and now there were silent tears falling down his cheeks. Astrid said nothing, upset that she didn't know what to say or do, instead she settled for just being there for him as he let it out. "What am I going to do Astrid? What if Gobber can't argue hard enough for me? What if I don't get to go to Nationals with you? Even if he gets the case approved, it's going to be so hard to get back to where I was. I'm going to have to re-learn everything. I've already lost way too much fitness. I'd be lucky to beat Katie at this point. I just-I don't feel like myself anymore. I don't feel like a complete person." By the time he was finished he was really crying, tear marks streaking down his face, eyes red and bloodshot, his shoulders were hunched, and he looked defeated and broken. Astrid simply held him, waiting for him to finish crying before she spoke. She let go as she felt him shift, only to be embraced in his arms as he turned around. He rested his head in the crook of her neck, and she didn't care that his face was still wet, only that he was upset and he needed consoling. Toothless nudged his masters leg gently, concerned.

"It'll be okay." She whispered, almost on the verge of tears herself. "Gobber's a stubborn man. He'll argue to the ends of the earth for your right to race. We'll get you to Nationals, one way or another. As for your fitness, you don't need to worry about it. It's easier to get back to where you were than it is to start over again completely. You're not going to have to re-learn everything. I'm sure Gobber will have a few pointers and tips to help you out. And Katie's good, but she's not that good. As for you not being a complete person..." Astrid paused as Hiccup straightened up and looked at her. "That's only a matter of opinion. Nobody around you thinks anything less of you. Especially me. And Toothless of course. So maybe you are...missing part of your leg. I don't care. _You _are still here, and I'm grateful for that. Because honestly, my life would suck without you in it." The light slowly reappeared in Hiccups eyes as he listened, and when she was done he was silent. Astrid was blushing slightly, not used to admitting that sort of thing so easily.

"What did I do without you for all those years?" Hiccup asked quietly, and the way he looked at Astrid made her feel like she was the centre of his universe.

"You've always had Toothless here." She said lightly as the canine reared up on his hind leg and pushed his way between them, placing his front paws on Hiccups shoulders. Stepping back, Astrid laughed as Toothless licked Hiccup, but she felt herself being pulled forward again as Hiccup wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Nu-uh. You're part of this group too." He said, and then he was kissing her. But it wasn't a quick peck on the lips like their previous kisses. This was a proper kiss. Passionate, greedy and slightly lustful. Astrids mind went blank. Usually she was the one to initiate the kisses, but she had to admit, she kind of liked this powerful, unadulterated side of Hiccup. Meanwhile Hiccup was trying to pour his emotion into the kiss. His need for her, his gratefulness to her for being there for him and accepting him, his physical longing for her which had uh, been the focus of many dreams before. After a while though, they had to break for air, and they looked at each other, acknowledging a new aspect of their relationship. Both their lips were slightly swollen and they were breathing harder than before.

"Wow." They said in unison.


	41. Chapter 41

Astrid spent most of her spare time with Hiccup, but she did still have to go to college and lectures. It was mid-year now, and for the third years, exams and assignments were piling up. Fish, Ruff and Astrid were all feeling the stress a bit, and even Hiccup was under some from of pressure as he settled into his new job and tried to keep up with his recovery. The only time Hiccup had gone back to college was to explain to the Dean about his situation and that he was withdrawing from his course and his scholarship. The Dean had shaken his hand and wished him the best of luck and that was that. Gobber had argued well and managed to get Hiccup the position at the Academy. Officially his title was "Junior Athletics Coach and Co-ordinator", but really he was there to help Gobber and do odd-jobs for the moment. Gobber had also introduced him to the Academy psychologist and physiotherapist, and Hiccup saw them both twice a week before his coaching sessions with the juniors on Monday and Thursday. His recovery was fast-tracked now that he was part of the Academy staff, and soon he was able to jog and do some low impact drills under the watchful eye of Gobber and the physio. The psychologist was impressed at Hiccups determination and desire to get back to the level he was at before, and would later credit that as part of his quick return to training. Hiccup found that his foot did not hinder him as much as he was afraid it would, while it was a different feeling than he was used to, the fact that it was only his foot and not more of his leg was a positive. His stride didn't have to change much, the impact and the way his prosthetic landed was much the same, a bit like running with a spring on one foot. It was major brownie points with the kids too.

"Whoa, he's got a robot foot!"

"That's so cool Mr. Hiccup!"

"Does it make you faster?"

The juniors were upset that Mr. Hiccup had been in an accident, but they were also very glad that he was now working with them regularly again. Astrid wasn't there as much as she would have liked thanks to assignments and study taking up more and more of her time, but she did try and get down to the track as often as possible. The seasons changed and the heat of summer soon made itself known, even the late afternoon starts that the juniors had didn't give them much reprieve from the heat, and Hiccup was careful to remind them to stay hydrated. One night after coaching, Hiccup was sitting on the bed in Astrids room while his girlfriend hunched over her textbooks, Hiccups shirt was off and even Astrid could only be bothered wearing a singlet and some light running shorts.

"How's the study going?" Hiccup asked. All he got in return was a grunt as Astrid kept her head down, not wanting to be distracted. "You're such a good student."

"Shut up. I'm trying to study here." Astrid said, still not looking back at him.

_"God knows I don't miss that part of college." _Hiccup thought to himself, looking back down at the list of names and times that he had in his lap. While he didn't have to do a lot of study anymore, Gobber had a range of tasks for him that provided more than enough mental stimulation. Right now Hiccup was going over the list of juniors that they coached and trying pick out who he thought was eligible to progress into a higher group and potentially be given a junior scholarship.

_"Want to explain this whole thing to me?" Hiccup asked._

_"Well the way things work here is, we keep an eye on all the athletes, from the juniors to the elites. The juniors are the most crucial because at their age, they're more adaptable to technique and speed training, so if they are trained right, by the time they progress to senior competition, they're virtually unbeatable. The particularly good ones, the ones with elite level potential, we might offer scholarships and tailor their training to suit. Much like I did with you, except at a younger age. Whether they choose to accept our offer is up to them." Gobber explained, and Hiccup nodded as he scanned the paper, already picking out a few names. _

Hiccup brought his attention back to the present as he heard Astrid shutting her textbooks for the night and stretching in the chair. Since that first heated kiss in the kitchen, they had become more comfortable with each other physically, although neither of them were quite ready to go all the way. Hiccup didn't mind though, as he looked at Astrid from behind and admired her figure, the strong yet slender shoulders, narrowing down to a waist that was kept trim by the core sessions. Although it wasn't visible to him at the moment, seated where he was, Astrid also had a very eye-catching bust, usually hidden under her training bra, not that she thought she was anything special. And not that he had been looking or anything. And it's not like he was very aware of the fact that she wasn't wearing a training bra.

"I can feel you staring at me." She said, not looking back at him. A year ago Hiccup would have blushed and flustered, but instead he simply shrugged, caught in the act.

"Maybe I am. How can you tell?" Astrid stopped stretching and turned around, smiling seductively.

"Womans intuition." Hiccup raised his eyebrows at her, a habit he had picked as since he had started dating her.

"Ah, of course." Reluctantly he dropped his gaze back to his papers, chewing his lip as he mulled over the candidates he had picked out of the list. Astrid got up and walked over, lying on her stomach on the bed next to him and plucking the sheet of paper out of his hands.

"Whatcha doing?" She asked, scanning the list of names marked with pen.

"I'm _supposed _to be trying to figure out who might be moving up in their training." Hiccup said, letting his eyes wander again. "But there's a rather attractive distraction lying next to me." Putting down the paper and looking up at him, Astrid replied.

"Your flirting game has improved remarkably since high school." Hiccup looked down at her, and his eyes dropped lower still before Astrid spoke again. "Eyes up here mister." Grinning, Hiccup returned his gaze to look at his girlfriends eyes as she leaned in slowly. Hiccup leaned forward too, closing his eyes expectantly, but all he met was empty air as he felt the bed shift. Opening his eyes in disappointment, he looked up again to see Astrid heading for the door, hips swaying as she walked.

"What was that?" He asked in exasperation.

"What was what?" She said innocently.

"That-what just happened. You just going to leave me hanging?" He was gesturing with his hands as he spoke, and he looked a lot like a child denied some candy. Astrid pouted at her boyfriend as she opened the door.

"Awww, poor bubby Hiccup. You bet I'm going to leave you hanging. Do you want something to drink?"

"I-wha-uh-eugh. Yes. I'd like a drink. Iced water will be fine." Laughing slightly, Astrid spoke over her shoulder as she left the room.

"Katie would be a good choice. She's rather quick. And that older boy Stuart has a good attitude."

"You're the biggest tease in the world you know?" Hiccup muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's a little short, but I figured after the dark and rather dreary nature of the past few chapters, it'd be nice to have something like this. Hiccup and Astrid just interacting like they used to, even if they are a little more hormonal. I went back and watched the first movie again (which in hindsight, is something I should have done much earlier) and I saw that Hiccup actually does lose his leg up to just below the knee. But I'm pretty happy with what I've done here. It was easier for me to write and work with the foot and ankle instead of the whole leg, and it was a change from canon. Even just a little change.<strong>


	42. Chapter 42

Hiccup handed in the sheet of paper to Gobber the next morning, and the big man scanned it quickly, nodding in approval.

"Good choices. That's about who I would have picked too. Well done Hiccup." Hiccup flushed a little with pride, it wasn't a major job or anything, but he was still glad that Gobber trusted his judgement enough to delegate some work to him. As Hiccup was turning away, Gobber stopped him with a tap on the shoulder. "By the way, I've been talking to the head office about your eligibility to race." Hiccup held his breath as he listened, not sure what to expect. "They've given you the all clear. There's been research done before, and our main argument was that you might run mechanically different, but physiologically you're still expending the same amount of energy and all that." Hiccup was elated, now all he had to do was get back into serious training and he could start thinking about nationals again. "So, with that in mind, would you like to get back to training this afternoon?" All Hiccup could do was nod.

* * *

><p>As well as Hiccup getting back to training, he had one other thing on his mind, and he mentally slapped himself for not thinking of it earlier.<p>

"Astrid, when's your birthday?" He asked that night as they sat on his bed, some sappy movie on the TV in his room and Toothless still playing lap dog.

"Hmm?" His girlfriend replied drowsily, half asleep.

"When's your birthday?" Hiccup repeated.

"Oh, uh, August 17th. Why?"

"Just wondering. I never asked you before and it seems kind of silly for me not to know when your birthday is."

"You're adorable." Astrid murmured, putting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"For future reference, my birthday is a few weeks after yours. September the 2nd."

"September 2nd. Got it." She said, practically asleep. Hiccup gently scratched Toothless behind the ears as he mulled over what he was going to get Astrid for her birthday. He knew she didn't like jewelry all that much since it got in the way of her running, he couldn't think of anything to invent or build that was practical for her either. Anyway, he had a few weeks to think about it.

* * *

><p>It felt great for Hiccup to get back to training. He'd missed the challenge and the satisfaction that came from seeing improvement. Astrid had been right too, it was easier to return to fitness now that he had a fairly solid base of training behind him, and before long he was back to his old 40 and 100 metre efforts. His times would improve again as he found his rhythm, but for now he was just glad to be sweating from exertion as well as the heat. He did have to be cautious though, with his leg he had to pay even more attention to his recovery. It started to ache after about an hour of training and he had to be careful to ice and massage the stump to keep any swelling down and keep the blood flowing. Hiccup also participated in a few club nights, the juniors he coached did indeed turn out to be a great cheer squad, and even with his missing foot he was more than capable of beating the people in his age group that the club had to offer. His job was coming along well too, Gobber slowly but surely entrusting him with more challenging tasks like designing sessions for the juniors and overseeing the particularly talented ones. He still saw the physio and the psychologist, just less frequently. Maybe once or twice every two weeks. Hiccup was still thinking about what he should get Astrid until one day during his lunch break, he drove over to the mall and decided to spend some time window shopping, hoping for inspiration. He was a little apprehensive, he'd never brought a proper gift for someone before, especially when that someone was his girlfriend. As he walked through the halls of shops, he looked up and found himself outside the window of the pet store.<p>

_"Ehhh. I don't know. Might be a little over the top." _He thought to himself. There were the usual kittens, puppies and fish on display in the window. _ "Well she's practically Toothless' second owner now, and I don't think a cat would go well there. And a fish? No." _He was about to turn away when he heard something squawking and screeching further inside the store, shrugging to himself, he wandered in.

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday." Hiccup greeted Astrid as she stood on the front porch of his house.<p>

"Thanks babe. Hello Toothless" She replied, giving Hiccup a hug and Toothless his obligatory head rub. Although she was a little confused. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

"You told me a few weeks ago."

"Wait. I did? I don't remember."

"Well you were virtually asleep at the time." Hiccup said, stepping aside and letting her in.

"Did I say anything incriminating?" Astrid asked, sounding concerned.

"Not that I remember. Just that I was the most handsome, adorable, good-looking-"

"If your ego was any bigger your head would burst." Astrid cut him off, but she was smiling at him. Hiccup shrugged as they walked further into the house.

"Fine. But you did say I was adorable." They reached Hiccups room, their usual hangout while Astrid was around, and Hiccup casually sat down in his computer chair, spinning around easily, Toothless at his feet. Astrid felt something was off, and looking around she noticed a rather large something sitting on the bed, covered by a sheet.

"What's that?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, that." Hiccup stopped spinning as he answered her. Clearly he'd been planning this. "That's your birthday present."

"You got me something?" Astrid said, beginning to look excited. Toothless wasn't bothered by whatever it was, he was snoozing happily, so it couldn't have been anything dangerous.

"Well. Yeah. You are my girlfriend and all that." Stepping closer, a little apprehensively, Astrid pulled off the sheet to reveal a birdcage with a very handsome looking bird inside. A parrot, about a foot tall and sitting on its perch with a rather dignified look. Squawking, the bird cocked its head to look at Astrid with an intelligent gleam in its eye.

"You bought me a parrot." Astrid said, still looking at the bird.

"Uh, yeah. Do you like it? Sorry, I just. I've never done this sort of thi-" Hiccup began, immediately sure that he'd messed up, but Astrid spoke over him.

"He's beautiful." She said, admiring the colouring of the parrots feathers. It was almost entirely blue, not the sky blue of her own eyes, but a deeper, richer blue like the ocean on a cloudless day. The wings were slightly darker shade than the body, and the only other colour was the small yellow rings around its eyes and the matching yellow streak on its lower beak.

_"Beautiful." _It squawked, and Astrid jumped backwards in surprise.

"He can talk."

"She." Hiccup corrected her. "She can talk, yes. Although she doesn't seem to be as loud as when I bought her."

"How loud was she then?" Astrid asked, cautiously unlocking the cage and holding out her closed fist, which the parrot promptly jumped onto.

"I could hear her from outside the store. Over the crowds in the mall too." Hiccup told her. "The staff said she was a bit of a nuisance."

"Aww, she's not a nuisance, are you?" Astrid stroked the top of the birds head, and it closed its eyes in pleasure. Looking back at Hiccup, Astrid said.

"This is so like you."

"What do you mean?".

"This." She said, gesturing to the bird. "Anyone else would have got their girlfriend jewelry, or flowers, or taken them out to dinner. But this is just like you Hiccup."

"Uh. I'm sorry, is this a good or a bad thing?"

"It's a great thing." Astrid held up her arm and the parrot hopped onto her shoulder where it sat happily. "Thank you."

"Glad to be of service milady." Hiccup said, taking a mock-bow. "What are you going to call her?" Astrid looked at her new bird, thinking of a name.

"One things for sure, I'm not letting you name her." She said casually.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"You named Toothless. In case you missed it, he's got a rather big set of teeth on him."

"Oh don't get me started on that." Hiccup sighed. "It was moms idea. Wasn't it bud?" He rubbed scratched Toothless with his toe and the dog rolled over, waiting for a bellly rub, which Hiccup obliged.

"Hmmm...Stormfly." Astrid said with finality.

"Stormfly?" Hiccup almost fell out of his chair. "You're having a go at me for naming Toothless, and you're going with Stormfly? At least Toothless' name is an oxymoron."

"You're a moron." Astrid shot back, not paying any attention to him as she stroked her bird again. "Haven't you seen that movie, _How To Train Your Dragon?"_

"Um, no I haven't." Hiccup replied.

"Well there's a girl, blonde like me. And she has a dragon named Stormfly. Parrots are pretty close to Dragons. Just as intelligent. I've always wanted a dragon."

"Can't argue with that logic can we bud?" Hiccup muttered to Toothless.

* * *

><p><strong>Allright guys, another PSA (yeah yeah I know, I've made a few of them). I'm getting to the point in the story where things are going to have to start wrapping up soon, please understand that there may some time jumps of a few months or so, just so as I can get to the good bits without dragging it out forever. They'll be explained, just not in as much detail as the rest of the story, because to be honest, we all want to know what happens to Hiccup in the end don't we? I have the ending planned, I'm just hoping it satisfies you all. Or at least most of you.<strong>


	43. Chapter 43

Gobber had decided not to return to the next New Years meet, and while Hiccup had initially been disappointed, he saw the reasoning behind Gobbers decision after he had explained.

"The two ways to make it to Nationals selection are to either be noticed by a scout, or register a qualifying time in a sanctioned race. You've already been scouted and the head office is aware of your position, so as long as they're kept updated on your recovery and your times, they're happy for you to attend in a few months." Hiccup was more comfortable after hearing that, and it allowed him to relax a little bit and not have to worry about tapering for another meet, plus it would be good for him to get a few more weeks practice on his running prosthetic. He had kept up with his core training during his downtime, both in preparation for training and to keep Astrid happy, and now that he was back running his times were improving again, only two or three seconds outside the qualifying times needed and those few seconds would drop away in the lead up to selection. In the meantime his job was moving along steadily, with Gobber slowly but surely entrusting him with more duties like planning the entire session for the juniors when he wasn't reading up on the finer details of coaching and theory. The decision not to go back to the New Years meet also meant he got to watch Astrid, Ruff and Fishlegs graduate at the end of November.

"It doesn't seem right." Astrid muttered as she bounced up and down on her toes nervously before the ceremony, looking very smart in her graduation robes and cap.

"What doesn't?" Hiccup asked, despite the fact that he was no longer a student at the college, he was still allowed back stage after being recognised by one of the lecturers.

"You're supposed to be doing this with us." Astrid sounded a little sad, and even Hiccup couldn't feel a little bit melancholy at the thought. But he pushed those feelings away.

"Hey. I never liked this whole college thing anyway, and I had another year to go. I've got a job now, I pay bills. I'm a proper adult."

"You still live at home." Astrid replied, looking up at him. How things had changed in the past eight months. Going from Nationals candidate, to amputee, struggling with recovery and adjusting to this new way of living. Then his new job, their developing relationship, the end of her degree, and they still had a shot at Nationals.

"Ehh. Maybe I'll move out soon." Hiccup said it casually, but it caught her attention.

"What do you mean? Have you found a house?"

"Not yet. But I have thought about it. I'll need to save up a bit more, but eventually I'd like to move out."

"Could be fun. I think I'll be back here soon." Astrid peeked between the curtains, at the crowd assembled outside in the auditorium.

"What do _you _mean?"

"I was thinking maybe I'd come back and do another two years study to become a physio."

"That's an idea. You'd be a great at it." Hiccup was a little surprised that Astrid would want to come back, but he was still happy for her.

"Might even get a job with you at the Academy." Astrid smirked, looking back at him. The lecturers were moving through the assembled graduates, telling them to line up, and Hiccup gave Astrid a hug and a quick kiss before making his way back outside to take his seat, stopping to clap Fishlegs on the shoulder and shake his hand.

"This is it Fish." Hiccup said, grinning at his friend.

"Yep." Fishlegs looked like he was about to be sick.

"Toughen up Fish. It's only graduation." Ruffnut appeared from nowhere and Hiccup turned to give her a hug.

"Congratulations to you too."

"Thanks Fishbone. Thank god I won't have to do anymore studying."

"Nah, all you have to do now is find a job then deal with screaming, crying, whingeing children for six hours a day for the rest of your life." Hiccup replied, secretly glad that he only had to manage the juniors for two hours a week. The graduates were shuffling forward as the first names were called, and Hiccup made his quick exit, but not before noticing Fish take Ruff's hand gently and smile at her.

* * *

><p>The graduates names were called one by one, the usual hand shake and posing for photos meant that the whole ceremony took quite a while. Astrid strolled out on stage as her name was called, the atmosphere eerily similar to a packed stadium before a race, all the while she was focused on not tripping over her heels.<p>

_"Give me track shoes any day." _She thought as she reached the podium and shook hands with the Dean. Scanning the crowd, she found Hiccup, seated a few rows from the front, clapping, whistling and smiling at her. Next to him was her family and his, all copying him and applauding loudly. Jack was looking around wide-eyed at the noise and commotion, and she had to suppress a laugh. It wasn't quite as good as a first place, but it was pretty close. Afterwards she stood politely on the other side of the stage, clapping for the rest of the graduates, although she clapped more enthusiastically for Fish and Ruff. Tuff called out some obscene comment when Ruff walked out, which she returned with her middle finger, and Astrid couldn't help but laugh at that. After the ceremony there was food and drinks on offer and Ruff and Tuff got stuck into it immediately while Fish nibbled cautiously, still looking rather pale, but starting to return to his normal self as he realised that he had actually graduated. Astrid pushed through the crowd, looking for her family, but she let out a shriek as she felt herself be picked up from behind. Whoever it was swung her around a few times, laughing and yelling before putting her down and she looked at Hiccup, who was positively beaming at her.

"I'm so proud of you." He said, before leaning in and giving her a full on french kiss, not caring that they were in the middle of a crowd. She was rather enjoying herself before they were interrupted by someone.

"Save it for a more private location, please." Breaking apart they looked up to see Brandt and Emma standing there, Jack in Emma's arms and giggling happily. Brandt was the one who had spoken, but both he and Emma were barely suppressing their smiles, so Hiccup figured he was in the clear.

"Congratulations honey." Brandt said, and Astrid let go of Hiccup embraced her father.

"Thanks dad."

"We're so proud of you." Emma stepped forward for a family hug as Hiccup looked around for his own parents. They were approaching from behind Astrids family and also offered their congratulations, even Scott congratulated her before wandering off to find the rest of the gang.

"They're over at the food table." Hiccup said, jerking his thumb in the right direction.

"Cheers little cuz." Scott took his leave, heading for the table as Astrid took a step back from the group hug. and spoke to Hiccup.

"Now all we need to do is make the National team."

"You make it sound so easy." Hiccup said, slipping his arm around her shoulders.

* * *

><p><strong>Another short chapter, just trying to avoid having too big a gap between events. Rest assured though, you will see Hiccup and Astrid at selection soon.<strong>


	44. Chapter 44

**WARNING. Boobies and penises and sex in this chapter. There. Appropriate warning. Now on with the story.**

* * *

><p>With all of them either graduated or working, it was almost a repeat of the year before as the gang spent their days playing Xbox and enjoying being study free. Or in Astrid and Hiccups case, training in the lead up to nationals and playing Xbox when they had the time. Hiccup and Astrids families celebrated Christmas together that year, gathering at the Haddock house on Christmas morning.<p>

"Has it been a year since we got on that plane?" Hiccup mused as he sat with Astrid on the back porch of his house, watching Stoick and Brandt chat and Emma and Valka play with Jack, who was now almost walking and chasing Toothless around. There was no snow so they could decided they could play outside if they wanted to brave the cold. Toothless would dart in and prod Jack with his nose before jumping back out of his reach again, head down, butt up and tail wagging, Jack loved it. Stoick had invited Gobber around as well, and he sat in a chair, happily drinking eggnog even though it wasn't even midday yet. All of them were well rugged up against the chill of winter.

"Sure has." Astrid was leaning against Hiccup, her head on his shoulder, rather content with things at that moment.

"Hm. How things can change in a year." Astrid looked at Hiccup, a rather admirable task given the position she was in, and she could hear the tone of his voice and she sat up to see him looking sadly at his leg.

"How is it?" She asked gently, watching his reaction.

"Fine I guess." Hiccup shrugged. "It doesn't hurt that much these days. Still tingles every now and then, sure. And I need to be careful after training, but it's nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. I'm just, still getting used to the idea of uh, not having it there, you know what I mean?"

"Not really." Astrid answered truthfully.

"Ah well. I suppose that's something that takes time." Hiccup fell silent again after that, watching Toothless play with Jack and Astrid put her head on his shoulder again.

"I'm really proud of you, you know?" She said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"I was worried about you, after your crash. I didn't know if you would ever be the same." Hiccup didn't look at her, but she had his full attention. "I didn't want to lose you. It sounds soppy, I know. And if you interrupt me I'll give you I'll punch you so hard you'll have a bruise for months. But I was worried about you, and I was so happy when you woke up. But then you had to go through all that recovery, and that time I found you in the kitchen with Toothless...I didn't know if you could do it. You've always been stubborn, but this was something else entirely." Astrid took a breath, as if trying to decide if she should continue. Hiccup hoped she would. "And then you got the job, and the people at the Academy helped you along, and you started running again and Gobber got your case through...yeah, things can change a lot in a year." Hiccup was still silent, and Astrid was a little worried she might have said too much.

"Please don't punch me. I need my arm, I'm already missing a foot." The comment was so casual, so sarcastically Hiccup, she couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I was trying to be empathetic here." She said.

"I'm so lucky to have you." Hiccup murmured, and she stopped talking. "To be honest, I don't remember the crash at all. All I do remember is waking up, you were crying and I was missing my foot. That hurt the most." This time it was Astrid who was paying close attention to everything he was saying. "In that moment, everything I'd been working for since I met you, the running, Nationals, all of it. I didn't want to lose it. That's why Gobber was the first person I wanted to see. I needed to know if I could still achieve all that. Then when he said it was possible, I got a second chance. But like you said, the recovery, getting used to the fact that I was missing a part of me, it took a long time. It's still taking time. But...and it's my turn to be soppy here. I couldn't have done it without you. The emotional support, the physical comfort of you just being there. It made it a little easier. So. Thank you Astrid. For all of it." Astrid looked up at him, the sincerity in his voice and the depth of what he had just said stunning her into silence. As she looked into his eyes, sky blue meeting grass green, she remembered those feelings she had felt when she sat next to him while he was unconscious in that hospital room, and she leaned in and kissed him passionately. After a moment Hiccups hand gently cupped her cheek and she grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. She tasted him and he tasted her, exploring each others mouths through taste and feel. Hiccups hand moved from her cheek to the back of her neck, and he dragged himself closer again, and soon their breath came in short gasps. Suddenly Astrid stopped, drawing back for a moment, and Hiccup was a little confused.

"Are you allright?"

"I want you." Astrid said, her voice low and lustful. And the way she said it made Hiccups heart skip a beat and started a fire in his navel.

"Say that again." He said carefully.

"I want you." She repeated. Hiccup glanced over at where their families were sat happily, oblivious to them, then glanced back at her.

"Are you su-"

"Don't make me repeat myself." That was enough for Hiccup, throwing one more cautious glance over his shoulder, he took her hand and they got up and went inside.

* * *

><p>Gobber watched Toothless playing with Jack, the way the three legged canine was still able to move with such speed and dexterity never ceased to amaze him. Tilting his head back, he took another swig of eggnog and wiped his mouth with his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement, and he looked over at the porch just in time to see Hiccup and Astrid get up and disappear inside the house. He put two and two together and furrowed his eyebrows in thought before shrugging to himself.<p>

_"As long as he doesn't get her pregnant before Nationals. He's a smart boy, I'm sure he's got it all figured out. And this is some very good eggnog."_

* * *

><p>They stumbled into Hiccups bedroom, one of them kicking the door shut, they were too entangled with each other to tell whose leg it was. Astrid fell backwards as her legs hit the side of Hiccups bed, and she pulled him down with her, and he stuck his hands out either side of her body to avoid falling completely on top of her. They were still kissing, and it was even more passionate now, filled with need and lust as years of adolescent hormones and desires come to a peak. Hiccup was straddling Astrid, and even now her hips where gently bucking up against him as they searched for fulfillment. Breaking the kiss for a moment, Hiccup sat up to pull his sweater and shirt over his head, and despite her longing, Astrid took a moment to admire the way his abs and chest muscles flexed and moved as he raised his arms. Silently thanking herself for encouraging him to keep up his core work, she was short of breath again as he lay back down to kiss her once more. After a little while she decided that her own clothing was too restricting, and she gently pushed against his chest to get him to sit up again as she crossed her arms and removed her thermal long sleeved shirt. As it came over her head it blocked her view for a moment, and when she could see again, Hiccup was looking at her in a way that was difficult for her to identify. It was both adoring, yet hungry and dark. Suddenly very conscious of the fact that she was practically topless in front of him, she blushed.<p>

"You're beautiful." He whispered, and the tone of his voice told her he meant it, but there was still that darker gleam in his eyes. He reached down and unclasped his foot, all his concerns and worry about his missing limb gone for this moment.

"You're not too bad yourself." She winked, and dragged him back down again. They kissed a little longer, clumsily removing her pants before she pressed on the top of his hair, guiding him down her neck, slowly but surely. His breath and his lips leaving small patches of heat and moisture on her neck that marked his path down her body as she tilted her head back to expose more of herself to him. She shivered as she felt his breath ghost down her breasts, and then it was gone. She was about to open her eyes, but instead she gasped as he kissed her breast lightly, working agonisingly slowly towards her nipples, and she bucked when he flicked his tongue over the sensitive peak. Meanwhile the hand that wasn't holding her neck was gently trailing its way up her side, fingertips brushing against her calf, then her thigh, coming tortuously close to that spot where she needed him the most, before gliding up her side and coming to rest on her other breast where her gently massaged her, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Deciding not to just let him take the lead, Astrid let her own hand slide over his firm chest and stomach, before slipping under the fabric of his pants and finding him. He inhaled sharply as her fingers closed around his penis and she grinned as she slowly began to move her hand up and down. Hiccup stopped his ministrations as he bit his lip and closed his eyes, trying to maintain his composure as she continued to tease him, occasionally sliding her thumb over his tip. Eventually he couldn't take it any more, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling it out of his pants and pinning it by her side.

"I love what you're doing, but if you keep doing it, I'm not going to last much longer." He growled, and Astrid felt a fire between her legs as she listened. Careful to keep her hands away, Hiccup moved again, trailing kisses down her stomach, but he was moving too slow for Astrids liking and she bucked her hips again. Ignoring her movements, Hiccup continued his actions until at last, he was breathing at the top of her underwear, so close to where she needed him. Letting go of her wrist, he slid her pants down her legs, finally exposing her folds, framed by a smattering of that blonde hair. The cold air was a stark contrast to her heat and she shivered as she felt it.

"Are you allright? Do you want me to stop?" Hiccup asked immediately.

"Whatever you do. Don't stop." Astrid panted, and Hiccup nodded.

"Okay, now, I've never done this before, so-"

"You're doing a fucking great job so far." Astrid said, as Hiccup dipped his head and experimentally flicked his tongue, catching her clit, and she grabbed the bed sheets, knuckles white as pleasure washed over her. Hiccup figured he was on the right track, so he continued, flicking his tongue in, out, left, right, up and down, all the while Astrid was writhing on the bed, moaning softly until, after a particularly good combination of tongue movements, she arched upwards, crying out as she orgasmed. As she collapsed back on the bed, Hiccup was there beside her again, kissing her. It felt strange, yet slightly kinky to be able to taste herself on his lips. Then she had had enough.

"Hiccup. I need you. In me. Now." Normally she would be embarrassed at such a lewd sentence, but right now, in his bedroom on Christmas morning, she needed this. Hiccup looked a little nervous, but he nodded as he leaned in to kiss her again, working his own pants off at the same time. Then his erection was pressed against Astrids thigh and she started to shiver with anticipation as he reached over into his bedside drawer and pulled out a foil packet, tearing it open and working on the condom. Apparently those highschool sex ed lessons hadn't been such a waste of time. Taking one final look at Astrid, he said.

"Are you sure? We can stop now if you don't want this."

"Hiccup. Shut up and fuck me." That sentence alone almost tipped him over the edge, but he remained in control long enough to guide himself to her entrance, and he slid into her. She gasped a little as she adjusted to him, taking a moment before she was able to move, but when she did it was the most amazing feeling. Slowly at first, but then faster as they got closer, she moved in sync with him, both of them gasping and panting and trying to kiss each other at the same time. Hiccup could feel himself coming close and his rhythm faltered as he thrust into Astrid, but he reached down and rubber her clit again, trying to finish at the same time as her. Then he groaned as he climaxed, everything washing over him in a wonderful feeling of ecstasy, and Astrid followed almost immediately after, burying her head in the crook of his neck as she moaned into his shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Would you believe me if I told you that this is the first time I've ever written smut? Because it is.<strong>


	45. Chapter 45

Yeah, it was a good Christmas that year. Since they'd spent Christmas day at the Haddock house, Astrids parents invited them all around for New Years, which Stoick and Valka graciously accepted. Although since Astrids house wasn't as spacious or reclusive as Hiccups, there was no sneaking off this time, and Hiccup couldn't figure out why Gobber kept looking at him with a knowing look on his face. And just like that it was the New Year, ushered in with hugs all round and a rather steamy kiss on Hiccup and Astrids part. Stormfly flew around the living room, squawking happily as fireworks exploded outside and Toothless put his head down and covered his ears as best he could with his paws, trying to block out the noise. Jack was crying, again, not used to such a commotion and all in all it was a rather noisy entrance to the New Year.

* * *

><p>Hiccup and Gobber had a few weeks off over the New Year break, not having to return to work until the end of January, and Astrid had decided to take six months off before returning for her physiotherapist course, which meant lots of time together, although they still had a little trouble finding time exclusively to themselves. The constant presence of either Toothless or Stormfly was a bit off-putting to say the least. Not to say that they hadn't enjoyed that Christmas day, and sex was just another part of their relationship now, each of them trying to figure out their boundaries with this new development. Even so Astrid walked into Hiccups room one day, Stormfly on her shoulder, to find Hiccup sitting on his bed, a variety of complicated looking materials spread out in front of him, tongue between his teeth as he concentrated on whatever it was he was doing. Toothless let out a low bark as the door opened, and Stormfly cried out.<p>

_"Good dog!" _Hiccup looked up at the noise and smiled at Astrid.

"Good afternoon milady." There was too much clutter on his bed to sit down next to him so Astrid settled for the computer chair, sitting down as Stormfly hopped off her shoulder and onto the back of the chair.

"Good afternoon yourself." She replied easily, watching him work. "What are you doing?" Hiccup didn't answer immediately, clipping two pieces of some sort of metal together, but he looked up eventually.

"Well. I do have this thing." He lifted up his leg to indicate his prosthetic foot that he used for everyday activities. "But to be honest, I thought I could do better so I pinched a couple of things from dads shipyard and I'm trying to make my own foot." Astrid leaned closer, curiosity piqued by this news, indeed upon closer inspection, she could see various pieces of carbon, fibreglass and some metals laid out.

"How are you going to make it work?" She asked.

"Well I figured if I could make some sort of cage to hold my foot, I'd do that, then I'd maybe make the foot kind of like the one I have now. Just make it look cooler and shinier. Or I'd make a sort of shell that's shaped like my ankle and foot, then I can just put on some socks and my shoes. I might have to still put something inside the foot just to support it though (1)." He said thoughtfully, pressing his lips together. "I'd still keep the running blade for the track, but I'd rather walk around on this than what I've got now." Astrid listened intently as Hiccup described his thought process, slightly in awe at what he was proposing.

"I guess that engineering degree came in useful after all." She said eventually.

"Hey, I was a genius before I enrolled in that course." Hiccup smirked, looking up at her again.

"Your ego couldn't get any bigger if you tried." Astrid replied evenly, secretly proud of her boyfriend. Stormfly flew off her perch on the back of Astrids chair and landed on Hiccups bed, walking around curiously as she inspected all the shiny bits of metal and carbon. Suddenly she dipped her head and grabbed a piece that caught her fancy and flew back over to Astrid before Hiccup could do anything.

"Hey! I need that thing. Give it back." Hiccup cried, looking at Stormfly perched happily behind Astrid. All the parrot could do was squawk at him, clearly with no intention of giving it back.

"Stormfly. Give it back. Please." Hiccup spoke slowly, like he was talking to a child, but the parrot continued to ignore him. Toothless had gotten to his feet and was barking at the bird, but still with no luck. In desperation, Hiccup looked at Astrid, pleading silently.

"I don't know who's the bigger puppy. You or Toothless." She grinned as she held out her hand, and Stormfly dropped her prize reluctantly. Tossing it back to Hiccup, Astrid reached up and stroked her bird, which cooed at her, eyes closed. Toothless returned to his spot underneath Hiccups bed, curling up protectively as his master continued working.

"Blasted bird." He muttered.

"You just need to have the right touch." Astrid said happily.

* * *

><p>Indeed Hiccups two years in engineering did serve him well, and his foot progressed at a decent pace. It took him a little while to figure out where it needed reinforcing and to get it to look as he wanted it, but he didn't quit and eventually he had his shiny new foot, which looked remarkably like his real foot instead of the steel and plastic of his old prosthetic. Still, it took him a month or two of fiddling with it at night after work and he had a few weeks to get used to it in the lead up to Nationals. Gobber was going with them, as usual, but because Hiccup now had experience with travelling, they were only leaving two days before the selection camp was due to start. Between work, his new foot, weekend Xbox parties at Fishlegs' house and spending time with Astrid, the months before Nationals passed quickly and suddenly it was the night before they were due to leave. In typical Haddock style, Stoick had invited all of Hiccups friends around for a sort of good luck party, and the backyard was full of tables and chairs to accommodate all of Hiccup and Astrids families, Scott and his father, Fishlegs and the twins and Gobber. Scott was less raucous than he had been that first dinner with Astrid, and he was currently in some sort of conversation with Gobber. Tuff was eyeing the table of food and Ruff and Fish were sitting rather close together while Hiccup and Astrid stood watching everything quietly, drinks in hand. Non-alcoholic of course. Eventually Stoick called them in to eat and everyone took their seats eagerly, before they started however, Stoick announced that he had a few words to say.<p>

"Oh no." Hiccup groaned, and Astrid grinned at him, squeezing his thigh underneath the table.

"It's been a rather interesting past year and a bit." Stoick began. "I honestly had no clue that Hiccup had the potential to be a National level athlete, but my thanks to Astrid for encouraging him to go along with her." He raised his glass at her and she nodded back as he continued. "My thanks also to Gobber for coaching him, and for giving him another opportunity after his, accident." Everyone at the table collectively fell silent as they remembered the emotions of those few days. "But here we are, all of you have graduated, Hiccup has a job and he and Astrid have another chance to show their potential. So. To Hiccup and Astrid. Good luck at Nationals. And give em hell." Everyone raised their glasses with a chorus of "Hiccup and Astrid", tilting them back as they drank before digging in with gusto and Gobber leaned across the table to speak to Astrid and Hiccup.

"Airport tomorrow morning. 8am." They nodded at him in understanding before he sat back and resumed his meal.

* * *

><p>Hiccup spent the night before flying out at Astrids house this year, she lived closer to the airport anyway, and Brandt had offered to drive them there in the morning.<p>

"No funny business tonight, you hear?" He said as Hiccup made himself comfortable on the inflatable mattress they had pulled out for him to sleep on.

"I have no idea what you're talking about dad." Astrid said innocently, winking at Hiccup over her shoulder.

"I'm sure you don't Astrid." Brandt replied. "But I'm serious. I have no idea what you two get up to at your house Hiccup, but please don't do anything in my house." Hiccup nodded, wanting to stay on Brandt's good side.

"Yes sir. I promise."

"Allright then. Goodnight." Brandt shut the door behind him as Astrid flicked off the light and Hiccup got up off the inflatable mattress and into Astrids bed.

"You're no fun." Astrid complained as she got into bed behind him and he rolled over to drape one arm over her shoulder.

"I'd like to live long enough to make it to Nationals this time." Hiccup said into her neck. "And you need to sleep before we go tomorrow."

"Damn you and your perfect morals." Astrid muttered, shuffling closer to her boyfriend and closing her eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>1. Inspiration for Hiccups prosthetic taken from here:<strong>  
><strong> post103187013529/princesswetkitty-prosthetic-meets-aesthetic  
><strong>


	46. Chapter 46

"Whoa." Hiccup stopped and looked up at the National Academy in awe. It was huge, according to the map outside the entrance there was a gym, basketball courts, two Olympic sized swimming pools, tennis and squash courts, a running track and a football field on campus. Plus all the extras that came with running such a high level organisation.

"It's something else huh?" Astrid said as she appeared beside him and looked up at the massive glass building with "NATIONAL SPORTS ACADEMY" signed above the front door. Hiccup could only nod as he continued to take in the sight, mouth hanging open slightly. Gobber was already waiting at the front door, and he waved for them to follow him as he entered the building. They walked through the sliding glass doors to see Gobber talking with the receptionist. Thanking her he turned to them and walked back outside.

"Right. We're in the accommodation building." He said as he passed them. The building he was referring to was across the road from where they stood, a multi-storey, rather modern looking structure which evidently housed units or flats for on site accommodation. Following their coach, he stopped to inspect the floor plan just inside the front door.

"Rooms 23 and 24..." He muttered to himself. "Ah, third floor. Come on then." They took the elevator to the designated floor and turned down the hallway in search of their homes for the next week or so. As the approached room number 23, Gobber turned to them again, pulling out two sets of keys. "Right, how do you want to do this? Me and Hiccup again or do you think you can handle him Astrid?"

"I think I can keep an eye on him." Astrid said, looking up at Hiccup.

"Right then, here you are." He handed her one set of keys. "Oh, and you two?" They stopped and looked back at him, halfway to their room on the other side of the hall. "Please refrain from having sex while we're here. It doesn't leave the best impression on the other athletes and staff, and we _are _here to get you onto the National team." With that, he turned his own key and stepped inside his room, leaving the two young adults standing in the hallway._  
><em>

* * *

><p>The Nationals selection was due to take place over four days, and they had two days to recover from their flight and do any last minute training. Hiccup and Astrid woke up the next morning and went down to the Athletes hall for breakfast. Which turned out to be rather like a highschool canteen, except much nicer and more modern. There were the usual breads and cereals on offer, as well as a variety of eggs cooked any way you liked, bacon, beans, mushrooms and tomatoes.<p>

"A word of advice. Don't go crazy." Astrid said, as they picked up a plate each.

"I would never." Hiccup replied, feigning insult.

"I know you wouldn't. But seriously, don't undo all your hard work for the sake of a tasty breakfast." That did sound like sound advice, so Hiccup stuck to his basics. Scrambled eggs, toast and cereal and a glass of juice. Gobber wanted them down at the track at 8.30 that morning, so they ate quickly, but not hurriedly, leaving their plates in the dirty pile as the left and headed back to their room to get changed. As they walked down the hall to the elevator, Hiccup pulling his singlet over his head, he heard someone call out to him.

"Hiccup?" When his view was no longer cut off by his clothes, Hiccup saw the third place winner from his first New Years meet, Joseph Hill, jogging down the hallway to catch the elevator with them.

"Joseph right?" Hiccup asked, holding the doors open for him.

"Yeah, that's right. It's been ages." Joseph stepped inside, nodding his thanks to Hiccup and smiling at Astrid. "A pleasure to see you again too Astrid." Astrid smiled politely at him, still trying to remember where she knew him from. "I didn't see you at the New Years meet this year." Joseph said, speaking to Hiccup again, and Astrid clicked her fingers as she remembered Joe.

"Yeah, I uh, had a bit of trouble." Hiccup said uneasily.

"What happened?" Joseph asked, blissfully ignorant. In response Hiccup just held out his leg, bringing Josephs attention to his prosthetic.

"Oh." He fell silent, not sure how to respond. "I'm sorry man."

"It's all good." Hiccup replied, putting his foot down again.

"You must have worked damn hard to get back here so soon."

"You bet." Hiccup stopped talking as the elevator dinged and the doors opened to let them out. "So uh, do you know where the track is? We only got here last night." He indicated himself and Astrid.

"Sure, just follow me. I've been here for two days already." They followed Joseph through the entrance building and out the back, past the basketball courts and the pool, Joe giving them a sort of guided tour. "The squash courts are in there, that's the acclimatization building. The gym's over there." He pointed out the various buildings as they passed, and eventually they arrived at the athletics track. It wasn't surrounded by spectator seating as Hiccup was used to. This track was all business.

"Anybody we know here yet?" Astrid asked as they went through the gate and onto the track.

"Um, that girl who you beat last year at the meet, she's here. Some other hopefuls. Oh, and Daniel." Joseph looked at Hiccup as he finished speaking, and Hiccup just shrugged in reply. There wasn't anything he could do about Daniels presence. Astrid was looking around, identifying their competition as she picked out Heathers black hair at the start blocks.

"Well, I'd better go. Don't want my coach mad at me for being late." Joe bid them goodbye as he ran off, heading over to his coach on the other side of the track.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find Gobber." Hiccup said, scanning the track for any sign of the big man. It was no easy task though, there were dozens of athletes there already, some were runners like them, others were there for the throwing or jumping events, and all of them were aiming for those few coveted spots on the National team.

"There he is." Astrid pointed at the finish line, where Gobber was waiting for them. They walked down towards him, looking around at all the other athletes already practicing, and their coaches barking orders or holding stopwatches.

"Good, you're here." Gobber was straight into it today. "Swing up, lets go. Then we'll get into some drills and some starts." Hiccup and Astrid switched into training mode, going about their warm up with focus and precision, suddenly very aware that everything over the past year was going to come down to the next few days. Gobber pushed them hard, but not enough to render them incapable of performing during the actual tryouts. His presence at the track attracted a few curious stares from other coaches too, as a former Paralympian he had a reputation and a commanding presence. Hiccups prosthetic running blade also attracted some attention too. During lunch a few athletes questioned him about it.

"Why are you here dude?"

"This isn't the para-athlete trials."

"Whoa, you're training with Gobber. _The _Gobber. Is he as tough as I've heard?"

"What's the deal with your leg?"

Gobber had told Hiccup to keep quiet about his prosthetic. "Let the National coach do the explaining during selection." He said, so Hiccup could only be polite and say that he was there like the rest of them to try out for the National team. The only person who seemed to be truly annoyed at Hiccup and his leg was Daniel.

"Why are you here?" He asked, standing over Hiccup as he ate.

"Same as you. Here for tryouts." Hiccup replied, not looking up from his food.

"What happened to your leg?" Daniel sneered. "The para-athlete trials aren't for another month." Astrid looked ready to thump him.

"Hm. I'm here aren't I?" Hiccup still refused to look at Daniel, and eventually he gave up.

"You shouldn't be." He said as he walked away.

"Asshole." Astrid muttered, seriously contemplating throwing something at him.

"Hey, it's allright. Let him find out why I'm here in a couple of days."


	47. Chapter 47

Like before, Gobber gave them the day off before the commencement of selection, but he did encourage them to do some light stretching and drills to keep mobile. He and the rest of the coaches had to go and meet with the Academy staff for a briefing on the selection process over the next few days, so Hiccup and Astrid had an easy session in the morning before spending most of the day exploring their new surroundings. The stood on the balcony overlooking the gym floor as some of the athletes who were already accepted in the Academy were put through their paces. Hiccup watched as they heaved and grunted, lifting massive weights that looked like they should have been bending the bar while others were using fancy looking contraptions to work on their flexibility or other weak points, and he couldn't help but admire the facilities.

"This is so cool." He said to Astrid. The gym was easily 50 metres long and 20 metres wide, and the amount of equipment they had here was mind-boggling.

"Yeah it is." She agreed, watching the athletes below them. "This is what you get to work with if you make the National team."

"What about the Academy with Gobber?"

"Oh that will be your main training base, but every now and then you'll get an invite. Actually more like an order, to come here and do a training block under the watch of the crew here." Astrid explained.

"You make it sound like I've already been accepted."

"There's no reason you shouldn't be. I've seen some good runners here, and they might challenge you for sure. But you can beat them."

"What about you?" Hiccup asked, wondering what she thought her own prospects were like.

"I've made it before." Astrid replied easily. "I can do it again." Hiccup nodded silently, returning his gaze to the gym floor. Looking at him, Astrid tapped him on the shoulder and motioned out the door. "Come on. Let's keep exploring." They headed out of the gym, wandering aimlessly. They poked their heads in at the basketball courts and got a first hand look at the acclimatization centre. A confined room with sauna, temperature gauge and a treadmill.

"Acclimatization sucks." Astrid said, pointing at the gauge. "They can adjust the temperature in the room. Usually they ramp it up and increase the humidity so as you sweat like nothing on earth. It's normally done in preparation for training in tropical climates."

"Neat." Hiccup answered, looking at the information map outside the door. "Wanna check out the swimming pool?" Astrid nodded and they walked over to the pool, enclosed in a glasshouse and remarkably warm inside. There were a few swimmers already there, training with their coaches on the pool deck calling out instructions or giving feedback.

"I hate swimming." Astrid commented.

"Why's that?"

"It's hard enough running the 800. And that's with just my legs. Throw in my arms too and I'll be sputtering and coughing after fifty metres. I never did have much upper body strength."

"I've never tried it." Hiccup mused. "Sure I did the usual learn-to-swim classes, but running is more my thing. Although I do think I'd look good in a swimsuit."

"That's a nice mental image." Astrid said as she turned away to hide a grin. Since they'd explored most of the Academy they headed back to their units for lunch and some down time before the next morning. While they were grabbing lunch they noticed they were standing in line behind Heather, and Astrid tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey." Heather jumped a little, clearly not expecting anyone to talk to her.

"Oh, hi." She answered, recognising Astrid before she turned back to the bain-marie.

"Good luck with selection." Astrid said, trying to be polite, and Heather looked back at her.

"Thanks I guess. You too." Looking over Astrids shoulder, Heather noticed Hiccup and raised an eyebrow. "And who's this?"

"Hiccup. Well, Henry, but no-one calls me that." Hiccup said, raising his hand in greeting.

"And why are you here Hiccup?" Heather asked, looking genuinely curious.

"The 200."

"Ah, right." At that moment Heather looked down, noticing Hiccups prosthetic foot. "Someone must have done some talking to get you here."

"They did." Astrid replied, now focused on finding her own lunch. Heather cast a slightly annoyed look at her before returning her gaze to Hiccup.

"Well, good luck with everything over the next few days." She said, flashing him a smile. Astrid looked up in time to catch her as she walked away, smiling at Hiccup again as she left.

"She seems nice." Hiccup said as he picked out a few sandwiches.

"She is. Once you get past her stony barricade of _I don't give a shit and I'm better than you." _ _  
><em>

"Hm. Right then."

"I can still beat her though." Astrid had to have the last word.

* * *

><p>They spent the time between lunch and dinner relaxing in their room, content to do nothing for the moment, well aware that the next few days were going to be full on. They weren't expecting the knock at the door, but Hiccup got up to answer it anyway.<p>

"Oh, hey Joe." Joseph stood in the doorway, grinning at them.

"Hey Hiccup. Mind if I come in?" Hiccup gestured past himself and shut the door behind Joe as he sat down.

"So what's up?" Astrid asked, switching off the TV and sitting up in her bed.

"Just wanted to check if you guys knew the schedule for the next few days."

"Uh no, we don't. Well, I don't anyway. Do you know about it?" Hiccup asked, sitting back on his own bed.

"Sure." Joe replied. "The first day is pretty basic. They'll probably split us up into age groups, then I think the schedule is flexibility and physical competency on the first day-"

"What's that?" Hiccup asked.

"You know, stuff like push-ups, pull-ups, they'll probably test us for our ability to squat and lunge too."

"Sounds like fun." Hiccup muttered. Gobber had had him in the local Academy gym since the start of the year, working on all of this sort of stuff, but he hoped they wouldn't be tested on brute strength.

"Second and third days they'll test us for real. Times for our various distances, all that stuff."

"Do we only get to race once?" Hiccup was suddenly thirsty for information, keen to learn everything he could before selection began.

"Nah." Astrid said, and both boys looked at her. "They'll test us over a variety of distances and build up to a final race. Probably be your favourite 40 metre sprints to start with Hiccup." Hiccup nodded, taking all of this in. "Do a few of them so they can get an idea of our speed, then the last time I was here, there was one final race for each event, maybe split into groups or heats depending on the number of people who are competing. They normally pay close attention to the top three finishers, but it also depends on things like your attitude, teamwork, sportsmanship, all that. They watch you like a hawk during selection and take everything you do into account. Your spot on the team isn't solely dependent on your times. Fourth day they'll announce their choices." Hiccup and Joseph looked at each other, both of them trying to figure out their strengths and weaknesses in each area of assessment. Nobody spoke for a while until Joe slapped his knees and stood up.

"Well, no point in keeping you two any longer. I should go back and try to relax a bit too. I'll see you tomorrow." Astrid and Hiccup bid him goodbye as Gobber entered the room, Joseph holding the door for him on his way out.

"What was he here for?" The coach asked.

"Just going over the schedule for tomorrow." Astrid said, lying back again.

"Oh good, you know about it then." Gobber nodded to himself. "That saves me a lot of speaking. Oh right. Hiccup." The boy in question looked up from where he was sitting, his attention on Gobber. " We're here now. It took a year, but we're here. The only ones who need to know, or care about your leg, are the selection staff, and they already do. They will explain it in brief at the first athlete meeting tomorrow before the actual assessment process starts, but all that you need to worry about is performing to the best of your ability and give no thought to what any of the other athletes think about you. Understand?" Hiccup nodded, trying not to be nervous. "And you Astrid." The blonde girl sat up again as her coach spoke. "You might have made the team before, but don't be complacent. You haven't raced Heather in a year, so you don't know what she's capable of now. Everyone has earned the right to be here, and everyone wants those few spots that are on offer." Astrid nodded too, game face on. Gobber looked from her to Hiccup and back again. "Right then. Go and get something to eat, and get a good nights sleep. Good luck tomorrow."


	48. Chapter 48

Joe's predictions turned out to be right for the most part. They were split up, but not into age groups. Instead they were grouped into team and track and field athletes the next morning at the athlete and staff meeting. The assessment staff consisted of about half a dozen people, including the Academy Strength and Conditioning coach, the National team head coach and her assistant and some more elite coaches from among those who had traveled there, including Gobber. He simply nodded at Hiccup and Astrid when they appeared at the track, evidently not allowed to show favoritism. There were also a number of junior assistants on hand to help with things like record keeping and timing, but the real decisions were made by a select few. There really was a vast array of athletes present for this selection camp, which explained why it was taking place over four days. The youngest people present couldn't have been much older than seventeen, with twenty about the average age. At twenty-one, Astrid and Hiccup were by no means the oldest, but Hiccup felt for sure that he was the least experienced with this sort of stuff. After the formalities and introductions, and before they were taken into the gym for their first assessment, the Head coach , who introduced herself as Ellen, explained why Hiccup was there among them.

"Some of you may have noticed Mr. Haddock and his missing foot, I understand that you may think that he has an unfair advantage over the rest of you and that he should not be here. I am going to tell you now that he has just as much right to be here as you do and that's the final word on the matter." Hiccup liked her style, brief and to the point. Most of those assembled simply shrugged and began to make their way over to the gym, satisfied that the assessment staff had their reasons for inviting Hiccup. The team athletes had their speed tests first up so they stayed at the track with a few of the staff, but the Strength and Conditioning coach and a few of his assistants led the way to the gym, about half of the total group following behind them. Hiccup was a little nervous, unsure of what to expect in this new environment, but to his surprise the first thing the coach told them to do was.

"Take a seat on the floor over there." He said, indicating an empty space on the floor. Puzzled, Hiccup sat down and waited for further instructions, Astrid beside him. "My name is Michael and I am the Strength and Conditioning coach here at the National Academy. For this morning, all you will be tested on is your physical competency. So first up, in groups of four, I'd like you to come up with myself or one of the other staff, and we will run you through a Functional Movement Screening test (1). No warm up or other preparation please, the whole point of this is to see how you are right now." Michael picked four random athletes from those assembled and they got up, each of them assigned to himself or one of his assistants. Hiccup and Astrid weren't picked in the first group so they sat back and Hiccup paid close attention to what he was expected to do. It appeared to be very basic coordination and balance exercises, stepping over a string while holding a pole down your back so as you didn't bend at all, and a basic squat movement with no weight were a few of the tasks the athletes were set, but some of them appeared to be having trouble already. Some of the younger athletes had good flexibility and could squat well, but their balance was poor, and some of the girls that were present couldn't do a proper push up, while other athletes couldn't even touch their toes.

"Amateurs." Astrid scoffed as she watched one girls arms shudder and collapse underneath her.

"Careful." Hiccup warned her. "We're up next." Michael was pointing at them, indicating that it was their turn, and the got to their feet and walked over to him.

"Right, Ms. Hofferson, you can go with Adam over there." He indicated one of his assistants, standing to the side. "And I'll be with you Mr. Haddock." Smiling at Hiccup, Astrid made her way over to Adam and he got her started as Michael turned back to Hiccup. "Okay then, first thing. I take it you've been watching?" Hiccup nodded. "Good, that saves some explaining. I want you to step over this string here, your foot has to come up past your knee and your back can not bend. You'll need this." He handed Hiccup a length of plastic pipe to hold against his back and Hiccup began his assessment. He was wearing his prosthetic running blade, he would race with it so it made sense that he be assessed with it too. His balance on his real foot was good, and he stepped over the string with no problems, but the narrower running blade proved a little more difficult, and he wobbled a little but managed to maintain his balance. Michael said nothing, simply tapping a few things into his Ipad, and they moved on. Hiccup felt that he performed quite well when all was said and done. He could bend at his hips and put his fingers past his toes, although Astrid could still get further than him. He wasn't quite able to do the full splits but he came very close, and he was able to link both hands behind his back. Michael did say something about a slight imbalance in his squat. "But that is to be expected considering the length of time that you have had your prosthetic." Due to the large number of athletes that had to be screened, the Functional Movement test took them through to lunchtime, and they gathered back at the track where they found a number of sandwiches and wraps already waiting. Evidently someone was catering for them. The athletes sat back under the cover of some shade cloths and ate and swapped opinions on how they thought they went. Joseph sat with Hiccup and Astrid as they dug into some chicken and salad rolls.

"So how'd you go?" Joe asked, the question on everyones mind.

"Allright I suppose." Hiccup replied after he had swallowed his mouthful of food. "I've never done this before though, it was kind of interesting."

"And you Astrid?"

"Good." Astrid said simply, unscrewing the lid to a bottle of water. "I've been here before and I know what I needed to work on, so I did better than I did last time."

"I hope I did allright. I still can't do the full splits." Joe muttered to himself.

"Neither can I. You'll be right." Hiccup assured him.

"What's on for this afternoon?" Astrid wondered aloud.

"You guys have the sprints next." A passing basketball player said, overhearing her, and they all looked at him. "We're swapping over now. You guys have sprints, we have the FMS." He walked off in search of some more food and Astrid looked back at Joe.

"I thought you said that stuff was tomorrow?"

"I thought it was too." Joe shrugged. "Evidently they're changing it up."

"Oh well." Hiccup said. "We'll just have to get on with it."

* * *

><p>The basketball player was right. After they had eaten, Ellen called for their attention and asked for the track and field athletes to follow her. They didn't go far, only down the home straight to the start of the 100 metres. There were a number of poles set up at the 10, 20 and 40 metre marks.<p>

"Laser gates." Astrid said, noticing Hiccup looking at the poles with a curious expression. "Probably the most accurate timing method you can get." They turned their attention to Ellen as she spoke up again.

"Allright then you lot. As some of you may have guessed now, you've got the 40 metre sprint test. You'll get three runs and we've got two sets of gates, so obviously that means two of you go at a time. So pair up with someone roughly your height or however you want to do it." Hiccup was almost a head taller than Astrid, and the only other person he knew or was able to talk to was Joseph. He looked over at Joe, who met his eyes and they nodded at each other. Meanwhile Heather had sought out Astrid and was partnered up with her, whether because of rivalry or because like Hiccup, Astrid was the only person she knew.

"You've got twenty minutes to warm up, so get to it." One of the other coaches called. Looking around, Hiccup spotted Gobber standing next to the coach who had spoken, and he was about to say something before Joseph tapped him on the shoulder and he turned away to get on with his warm up. Deciding to stick to what he knew, Hiccup went through his leg swings, drills and some starts before they were called back again. Gobber still wasn't looking at them, and Hiccup decided that he had better focus on getting the job done, he and Joe were the first back so Ellen told them to go first. Crouching down and spreading his fingers, Hiccup took a deep breath, going through the motions as he had been trained to do. The gates sounded down with a _ beep...beep...BEEP _and he and Joe surged forward, Hiccups arms driving him through his start phase as his legs swung forward and his knees stayed high, prosthetic moving through the air. It was only a short sprint and neither of them was a clear winner as the lunged through the final gate and slowed to a stop before walking back. There was an electronic timing board set up back at the start line and it flashed up with _1: 5.04 2: 5.10. __  
><em>

"Jesus Christ you're still quick." Joseph said, panting slightly. Hiccup accepted the compliment graciously, inclining his head.

"You're not far behind." He said, and Joe grinned at him.

"I'll get you yet." There were some other runners about to start their own sprints and Hiccup observed them carefully, falling back into his old coaching habit of analysing their form. Some of the athletes were quick, but they had poor form. Others had good form but their leg speed was too slow and they recorded slower times. Daniel of course set the benchmark with a 5.01 time, but Hiccup and a few others came very close. Astrids time was slower, 6.42 for the 40, and she looked annoyed with herself as she stood back at the start waiting for another go.

"Don't look so upset." Hiccup said, putting his arm around her shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze. "You're an 800 runner not a 100."

"I still don't like it." She said. All the while Ellen, Gobber and the rest of the staff spoke among themselves, looking at the times and back at the athletes. , doing their own critiquing. Hiccup improved his own time to a 5.03 in his final run, and Joe dropped his to a 5.07, but no one could beat Daniel. At the end of the three runs it was about three o'clock, and everybody was beginning to feel the mid-afternoon slump as Ellen called them to order again.

"Attention please. Thank you everyone for your performances today. This marks the end of your first day of assessment, so go back to your units and get some down time before dinner. We'll see you back here the same time tomorrow." The assembled athletes called out their thanks and goodbyes, making their way back to their accommodation, Joseph walked with Hiccup and Astrid, as was quickly becoming the norm.

"Day one down." Hiccup said as the left the track.


	49. Chapter 49

The second day started much the same as the first, with the team athletes separated from the track and field ones. The entire day was dedicated to their particular events, much like a meet, while the team athletes went away to play mock-games against each other in their respective sports. There were a few more coaching staff present today too, the sheer number of events and athletes mandating an increase in the number of staff required to assess them all. While the throwing and jumping athletes went about their various events, the pure runners were gathered together as the days schedule was explained to them.

"Today will be run a little differently." Ellen told them as they stood around listening. "Because the aim of the next two days is to simulate an actual meet, the middle distance runners, those of you who compete in the 3000, 5000 and 10 000 metre races, will race tomorrow. What you do with your time up until then is up to you, however it is recommended that you stay and watch and be supportive of your fellow competitors." There was a collective murmur as everyone figured out when they would be racing, and Ellen waited for the chatter to settle down before continuing. "Which means the rest of you, everyone competing in the 1500 metres and under, will be racing today. 1500 metre runners are first up and we'll work our way down to the 100 during the day." The few athletes who were racing in the 1500 had half an hour and immediately went off to begin their warm ups, some of them a little shocked at this development, others taking it in their stride. As an 800 metre runner, Astrid would be in the second group of races, and due to the small number of runners before her, she would be on the start line within an hour. While she didn't need to start warming up immediately, she did make her way off the track with the rest of the athletes to give the 1500 runners some space.

"Take notes." She said to Hiccup as they on the other side of the fence, close to the gate so as Astrid could move quickly to the start line. "Learn what you can from watching everyone before you." Hiccup nodded as she spoke, switching his attention to the half a dozen runners currently warming up over the other side of the track. Some of them looked apprehensive, others quietly focused, he figured that this sudden change in schedule was designed as an attempt to put them off, Gobber had told him about it during his sessions.

_"You're aiming to be the best in the country. So they'll throw everything they've got at you. They might mix and match events, or they might throw a complete curve ball at you. It's all so as they can see how you handle pressure and anything unexpected."_

Hiccup figured he was one of the more aware athletes as he looked around, some athletes he knew, had a specific pre-race schedule that they went through and that relied on knowing when they would race a few days beforehand, as such this sudden change in schedule would mentally affect them, and it showed. Some of those around him looked very nervous, maybe they hadn't had their pre-race breakfast, or they didn't get to go through whatever routine they did to settle themselves, but it didn't matter to him. He didn't believe in any of that sort of stuff and just did what felt right on the day, and he had a few hours before his own race anyway. Regardless, he leaned forward and tapped the shoulder of one particularly nervous looking teenager.

"Hey, relax." He said calmly. The teen spun in his seat to look at Hiccup, trying to figure out who he was until his eyes fell on Hiccups prosthetic.

"Oh, hi." The boy said quietly.

"You'll be fine." Hiccup said, trying to calm him down a little. "Which race are you in?"

"The 400."

"Oh so you're up just before me. Relax, we've got at least an hour or two before we race." The boy looked back at the track as the five minute warning came from one of the officials with a megaphone, and Astrid stood up.

"I should go. I'm up as soon as these guys are done." She leaned down and gave Hiccup a quick kiss before waving and moving along to an empty spot on the fence to start swinging up.

"Kick their butts." Hiccup called as she left. The boy watched her leave before he looked back at Hiccup.

"She your girlfriend?" He asked, looking a little less nervous now that his attention was away from his race.

"Yep." Hiccup replied, leaning back on grass as the runners stepped up to the start line.

"How are you not shaking with nerves right now?" The boy asked, following his gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"Well in two hours we've got the biggest race of our lives so far, everything we've worked for since god knows when comes down to less than a minute of running."

"Well sure it does when you put it like that." Hiccup replied casually, determined not to think about it that way. "But if you think you can do it, and you trust your training and your ability, then all you can do is give everything you've got." Joseph walked over to them as the start gun sounded and he sat down next to Hiccup.

"Nice speech." He said as the runners came into the home straight for the first time. As a 1500 metre race the best of them would be done in less than four minutes, so they didn't have to wait very long for Astrid. He and Hiccup clapped and yelled encouragement as they went past.

"I should be a motivational speaker." Hiccup answered as he stopped clapping.

"Maybe if you don't make it in athletics." Joe replied, and Hiccup grinned at him.

"Hey I've come this far. I'll be damned if I don't make it."

"I wish I had some of your confidence." The boy muttered, eyes on the runners who were already halfway through their race.

"Just try and relax a little." Joe said. "It seems kind of pointless I know, but like Hiccup here said. All you can do is your best."

"That's your name?" The boy asked. "Hiccup?"

"Technically it's Henry. But no-one ever calls me that." The first runners had crossed the line and their times were recorded by several officials with stopwatches, and Hiccup looked over to see Astrid and Heather making their way to the start line. Hiccup put his fingers in his mouth and whistled as she walked, and she looked up at him and waved before returning her attention to the imminent race start, all business again.

"She's kind of scary when she's serious." Joe said in an undertone.

"True. But only when she's racing." Hiccup told him, watching his girlfriend keenly. The order of races went Under 23's, Under 21's and Under-19's, split into mens and womens races and Astrids group was the first to start. She and Heather were next to each other, staggered as usual for the start of the 800. There were eight girls in this race, one for each lane, and they all crouched as the signal was called. Silence filled the air out of respect, as no one spoke before the start, and then the gun sounded and the girls were off. The first thing that was obvious to Hiccup was that the standard of racing here was much higher than that of the New Years meet, all of the girls hanging together for the first 150 metres. At the 200 mark though, some gaps finally started to open up, to Hiccups relied Astrid was in the lead group, but she was working hard. Heather had improved over the past year and she was dead even with Astrid as the runners converged into the bottom lane for the final lap. At the 500 it was Heather, Astrid and two other girls who Hiccup didn't know. One of them started to fade as they came into the second last corner and at 150 to go it was Heather in first, Astrid second and the other girl in third. The girl made a push in the home straight and Astrid kicked hard to go with her, they were within a hairsbreadth of Heather with 50 to go and as Hiccup yelled and cheered Astrid on, he knew that at this point, all of them would be hurting badly. With twenty metres to go it was still anyones race, and it came down to the final lunge as they all dove for the line, stumbling as they finally lost their balance and flailed forwards, legs swinging wildly behind them. There was no giant scoreboard to show their times so Hiccup had to wait for Astrid to recover enough to walk back over to him before he found out the results. He stood up and walked down to the fence, holding her water bottle as she walked across the track.

"So by how much did you win?" He grinned, handing her the water. She didn't answer him immediately, her heart still beating rapidly as she sipped at the fluid.

"I didn't win." She gasped between sips. "It was a dead heat. Myself and Heather. That other girl was literally 0.2 seconds behind us." Hiccup raised his eyebrows at her.

"Technically you did still win. You got equal first, that's a good result." Astrid said nothing as she tried to figure out her chances, and Hiccup slipped his arm over her shoulder and led her over to where Joe was waiting for them.

* * *

><p>And so the day progressed much the same, the assembled athletes working through their various events. There was a break between 11.30 and 1 o'clock to have lunch and give everyone a reprieve from the heat, then the first event of the afternoon was the 400. The boy Hiccup and Joseph had been talking to that morning looked more and more nervous as the women went first, then the Under-23 and Under-21 men, and finally it was his go and he looked positively terrified.<p>

"Hey." Hiccup said as the boy headed down to the start line. "I never got your name."

"Will." The boy said.

"Go get em' Will." Hiccup sat back with Astrid as Will took his place at the start and watched closely as he ran his race. Will started slowly, almost falling behind at the beginning, but he worked his way back during the middle 200, getting himself up to fourth place by the home straight. But fourth was as good as he would get that day and he collapsed at the finish line, rolling over onto his back as he tried not to pass out.

"He might still be chosen." Astrid said, but Hiccup could tell she didn't believe herself and he couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for Will. Still, he got up and congratulated him as he walked off the track looking dejected, then Joseph caught his attention.

"Yo Hiccup, we're up in about fifteen minutes. We should get going." This time Astrid stayed where she was and Hiccup gave her a kiss before following Will down to start their warm up.

* * *

><p>The womens races were over sooner than they would have liked, and as Under-23 men, Joseph and Hiccup were in the first race immediately after. Despite what he had said to Will earlier, Hiccup was still a bundle of nerves himself as he checked in with the officials before his race. Everything he had been working towards for the past year and a bit, before and after losing his foot <em> did <em>come down to two hundred metres of athletics track. He swallowed as he stood in his lane, Joseph to his left, Daniel on his right. Ever gracious, he held out his hand to Daniel but as usual Daniel ignored the gesture, staring straight ahead. Joseph shook his hand though.

"See you in thirty seconds." He grinned, trying to cover up his own nerves. Deciding to take his own advice, Hiccup shook his legs once more then crouched down and focused on getting the job done and waiting for the starting sequence.

_Take your marks. _The assembled athletes moved backwards a little, bracing their feet against the start blocks.

_Set. _Hiccup tensed his entire body, taking a deep breath and holding it in preparation for the-

_BANG! _His nerves disappeared and his training took over, his arms and shoulders moving in sync with his legs to drive him forward, prosthetic flexing a little as it took his weight before springing back into shape and propelling him out of the blocks. He held his breath as he ran, head down and still slightly crouched as he tried to get every available ounce of energy out of his legs in those first few crucial strides. At the twenty metre mark his head came up and he took his first breath before holding it again, now concentrating on keeping his arms moving and his legs driving forward. He could sense Joseph slightly behind and to his left, working just as hard as he was, and Daniel was still leading on his right. Hiccup made up some ground in the bend, and like his first meet, he could have reached out and touched Daniel, but instead he looked ahead of him, eyes on the track as he powered through the bend and into the home straight. Nothing mattered for those twenty or so seconds, his world condensed to the two white lines that marked his path. Astrid and Will's shouting registered vaguely in the back of his mind, but for now all he cared about was that Daniel was still the tiniest bit in front of him. Hiccup couldn't sense Joe anymore, and he took another breath with seventy metres to go, trying to ignore the burning in his legs and trying to get just that little bit more force out his feet as they struck the ground or to get his legs to swing forward just that little bit faster. He inched forward, drawing level with Daniel for the first time, but he didn't look across at him, the finish line was close. He couldn't tell which foot was the prosthetic in that moment, everything was moving too fast for him to register and it felt like he was gliding across the ground. Gritting his teeth and forcing down the pain for just a little bit longer he took another breath, the last one he would take before crossing the line. Daniel was still in his peripheral vision, but everything was coming down to that two-inch thick line that marked the end of the race. It got closer. Closer. It was right there. Dipping his head forward and stretching his neck, Hiccup lunged for the line, breaking the imaginary tape as he stumbled and tried to bring his legs under control. His job was done. All he could do now was try and suck in as much oxygen as possible and wait for the official result.


	50. Chapter 50

Still breathing hard, Hiccup straightened up and looked over at Joe, still gasping for air. Clapping him on the shoulder and pulling him upright, Hiccup walked with him off the track and over to the officials tent.

"Good race." Joseph held out his hand, which Hiccup shook.

"Same to you." They reached the tent and waited as the assessment staff went over the times.

"Henry Haddock?" One of them called, still looking down at a sheet of paper.

"That's me." Hiccup said, raising his hand slightly. The official looked up briefly, putting a face to the name and number she had on her sheet.

"Congratulations, 21.7 seconds." Hiccup allowed himself a small grin, that was a new personal best for him. "Daniel Isles, 21.9." She didn't even bother looking up to find Daniel, and Hiccup slowly tried to process what he had heard. "Third, Joseph Hill, 22.4 seconds." Joseph turned to Hiccup with a broad smile across his face and shook his hand again.

"You won." He said, and Hiccup matched his smile as it began to sink in.

"Apparently I did." Hiccup let go of Joes hand and turned to shake hands with Daniel, but instead he turned just in time to catch him looking thoroughly disgusted and whirling around to begin walking towards the gate. The official took his attention away from the timesheet in time to see Daniels walking away and he shook his head.

"Still got an attitude." She muttered to herself. Meanwhile Joe and Hiccup were making their own way off the track, getting out of the way for the final events of the day. Astrid was waiting for them next to the gate and her eyes followed Daniel as he stalked past her before she returned her attention to Hiccup.

"How'd you do babe?" Hiccup was still grinning broadly and he gave her a hug as he reached her.

"I won." He said into her ear, and she hugged him back.

"Congratulations." It only seemed right to her that he should win, after all he'd been through and all the work he'd put into getting back to where he was. "I'm so proud of you. Daniel looked a little pissed though."

"It only took me 18 months to kick his ass like you told me too." Hiccup said.

* * *

><p>They stayed and watched the final events of the day before they were dismissed back to their units, all of them simultaneously relieved that they'd run their races, and nervous as they had to wait another day before they found out if they had made the cut. Hiccup and Astrid let themselves relax a little and picked a few things out of the dessert tray that they had been trying to keep their eyes off for the past few days. Joseph, Heather and Will all sat with them, and it almost felt like sitting back at Fishlegs' house after an Xbox marathon. Will was still a little downcast that he hadn't finished in the top three, and Hiccup was trying to console him.<p>

"Hey, there's no guarantee that they won't pick you, and even if they don't it just means you have another year to train before coming back. And if I can come back from this thing, there's no reason you can't go from a fourth to a first." He lifted up his prosthetic and let it sit on Will's seat, and the young boy looked at it keenly.

"Did they give you that?" He asked. Hiccup had switched out his running blade for his caged foot, and the top of it was poking out of his shoe.

"Nope. I made it." Hiccup said through a mouthful of berry pie.

"Really? You _made _that?" Joe was also looking at Hiccups foot, astounded that anyone could forge something like it. Hiccup had just taken another mouthful so all he could do was nod.

"He took two years of engineering." Astrid explained, acutely aware of Heather's eyes on Hiccup.

"And what do you do now Hiccup?" Heather asked, leaning her head on her hand as she spoke.

"Coach juniors at the local sports academy." He explained, blissfully unaware of the way the raven-haired girl was looking at him. Will had gone silent and Hiccup looked at him to see the boy looking over his shoulder at something. Hiccup swivelled in his seat to see Daniel staring daggers at him from another table, not wanting to provoke the bigger boy, Hiccup smiled awkwardly and turned back to his food.

"I don't think he likes you." Will said quietly.

"He doesn't like anyone." Hiccup shrugged.

"Especially you now." Joe put in, and Hiccup shrugged again.

"It's just a race." He said casually, but inside he was secretly proud of himself for being able to beat Daniel. Not much was said for the rest of the meal and the crew soon left their table, depositing their plates and making their separate ways back to their rooms. Hiccup and Astrid said goodnight to Joe and stepped inside their room. Across the hallway Gobbers door remained locked, as he was staying back in another meeting with the assessment staff. Hiccup showered and brushed his teeth, reappearing in the bedroom of the unit with his hair still damp and his pajama bottoms on. Astrid looked up from her own bed where she was letting her hair out of its braid and eyed her boyfriend.

"I'm glad we're going out." She said, and Hiccup looked across at her as he sat down on his bed.

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see the way Heather was looking at you during dinner?" Astrid asked, and Hiccup shook his head.

"She was looking at me?"

"You're so naive." Astrid had shifted over so as she was closer to Hiccup, and she looked him in the eyes. "But you're my naive boyfriend." Hiccup smiled at her before falling back on his bed with a sigh.

"It doesn't feel like I've raced yet." He said, looking at the ceiling. "This whole week's been a bit of a blur really."

"That's what the first time is like." Astrid replied, lying back on her own bed. "Well for me anyway."

"Now we have to wait another day before we find out if we made the team or not."

"Gives us time to wind down a little." Astrid had rolled over onto her side and was looking at Hiccup.

"I see the way you're looking at me there." He said cheekily, shifting his gaze meet her eyes. "But you heard what Gobber said, and I don't know how soundproof these walls are."

"He said no sex. He didn't say anything about making out." Hiccup raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're getting devious." He muttered, but he was smiling and he lifted up the covers, inviting her over. She complied, moving over and spooning up against him before rolling over and leaning in for a kiss.

* * *

><p>As Astrid had said, they tried to take their minds of the final selection and spent most of the next day on the grass surrounding the track, watching the middle distance runners go through their events. The throwing and jumping athletes had finished their trials and joined the other runners, sitting back under some pop-up shade cloths and cheering on their fellow competitors. The assessment staff didn't let up, continuing to monitor all of them even as they sat and ate and in some cases, slept, but most of the athletes remained unaware of the keen eyes of the staff, simply glad that their races were over. Heather turned out to be rather good company now that the she wasn't focused on racing, and Hiccup seemed to have taken Will under his wing, pointing out little flaws in other runners form or giving him tips that he'd picked up himself. Although Astrid kept a close eye on Heather to make sure she wasn't trying to pull anything on Hiccup. The team athletes would be told their final results according to the specific academy coaches for their sport, but all of the track and field athletes gathered back at the track on the morning of the fourth day, waiting to hear about their own fates regarding the national team. In most cases three athletes were chosen for each event, and considering the number of events that composed a track and field meet, they were there for quite a while. Hiccup, Astrid, Joe, Will and Heather all stood quietly as the Head coach went through the list of chosen athletes.<p>

"First of all my congratulations to all of you. In most cases, you have performed magnificently over the course of this selection. If I could, I'd accept you all and just take a massive team to the World championships and the Olympics, but I can't do that. The unfortunate reality is that only a few of you will be selected, others may be invited back here on a case-by-case basis, and others may simply have to wait for another shot. As you know, your acceptance into the team is not based solely on your performance in your events, but also on the coaches observations of your interaction with your fellow athletes and how you have presented yourself over the past few days. If I call your name, please step forward. From the High Jump-" And so Ellen went through the list of events and the athletes chosen by the staff. Where people were accepted, they stepped forward, trying to maintain their decorum and suppress their smiles of happiness and relief. Where they were left out, they stood silently, nodding to themselves and trying not to look overly disappointed. When she reached the womens 800 metres, Hiccup held his breath for Astrid. When he looked at her she was watching Ellen intently, holding onto every word she said.

"Astrid Hofferson." Astrid let out a sigh of relief and Hiccup squeezed her shoulder as she stepped forward to join the other athletes that now made up the National team.

"Heather Novak." Heather flashed Hiccup a smile as she stepped forward, which Hiccup returned politely. To no one's surprise, the third place winner from Astrids race was also selected, and Ellen moved on to the womens 400, then the 200 and 100, and onto the men. Wills name was not called for the mens 400, and he looked heartbroken. Hiccup smiled at him sadly, hoping that Will remembered what he had been told the other night, and then his attention was back on Ellen as she called the mens 200, but she paused for a moment before speaking.

"Well, this is a welcome surprise. For the mens 200, Henry Haddock." Hiccup felt like he was floating on air. Astrid was beaming at him again and Joe thumped him on the back. Stepping forward on surprisingly shaky legs, Hiccup took his place next to Astrid, turning to face the other athletes. Will and Joe were smiling at him as Ellen continued.

"Joseph Hill." Hiccup clapped along with the rest of the athletes as Joe joined him in the team, and Joe looked like he'd already won the Olympics. Further back in the crowd, Hiccup could see Daniel looking more and more angry as they waited for the last name.

"Thomas Frederikson." Daniel was livid as a tall blonde boy whom Hiccup vaguely recognised stepped forward.

"Who's he?" Hiccup asked Joe in an undertone.

"He was fourth behind me." Joe replied, more than a little puzzled.

"What the fuck is this?" They all looked up to see Daniel pushing his way through the crowd, yelling at Ellen. "You're going to pick that fucknut with a missing foot, and the two other people I beat. But you're not going to pick me?" Ellen let her hands drop to her sides calmly as Daniel ranted and drew everyone's attention to him. Gobber and some other coaches looked ready to intervene. "What sort of game are you playing at? I'm the best here. I'm the fastest. That kid with the missing foot shouldn't even be here." Nobody spoke as they all looked at Daniel, but Ellen still looked very in control.

"Yes Mr. Isles. I am going to pick Mr. Haddock over you." She said. "As I explained to all of you before, Mr. Haddock has earned his right to be here just as much as any of you have. And no, you are not the fastest. You were beaten fair and square in your heat, whether by a millisecond or a whole minute, you are not the fastest. Mr Haddock, Mr. Hill and Mr. Frederikson's attitude and interaction with their fellow athletes over the past few days have been exemplary. Yours on the other hand Mr. Isles, leaves me a little concerned, and I can see now that the other staff and I made the right choice in not selecting you yet again. Now I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Are you going to leave by yourself or do I need to get somebody in here." Daniel as though he was seriously considering arguing again, and this time Gobber and the other staff actually stepped forward. This was enough to bring Daniel back down to earth and he shot them all a dirty look before spitting at Ellens feet and walking away, leaving a shocked silence behind him. Ellen simply shook her head as she looked back at her sheet. "Remind me not to approve his attendance next year." She said to nobody in particular.

"Always said he was a sore loser." Astrid muttered. The rest of the athletes were announced shortly afterwards and she, Hiccup and the rest of the team stood proudly as the staff and those who weren't selected gave them a round of applause.

* * *

><p><strong>Pegueng, nothing bad about Joe. I promise. I just thought it'd be nice for Hiccup to have a friendly rival that juxtaposes Daniels general shittiness. And that's the sort of thing that goes on in sport. You might race against the other guy, but the other 99% of the time you're either training with them or spending time around them in some way, so you might as well get along with them.<strong>


	51. Chapter 51

**NSFW warning for this chapter.**

* * *

><p>Gobber took a moment to congratulate Hiccup and Astrid quietly after the other athletes had left the track.<p>

"Well done." He said proudly as his two protégés stood before him.

"Couldn't have done it without you coach." Hiccup answered, and Gobber laughed.

"Yes you could. I just steered you in the right direction." He looked around as Ellen called him over and he acknowledged her before turning back quickly. "We're leaving later this afternoon. Go back, get your gear packed up and I'll meet you outside the units at about three o'clock. The two of them nodded and Gobber hurried off to where Ellen was standing.

* * *

><p>There was no-one hanging around the units when they got there.<p>

"Maybe they're all off calling home or something." Astrid suggested as they took the elevator to their floor.

"Either way, there's no-one here and we've got a few hours before Gobber gets back." Hiccup said casually and Astrid looked at him as he was deliberately avoiding her gaze.

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" She asked, and Hiccup shrugged in that _yes-I-am-but-I'm-not-going-to-admit-it _way of his.

"Maybe. Are you?"

"Way ahead of you." Astrid smirked.

* * *

><p>They took it slower this time, and they'd had several months to become accustomed to what the other wanted and liked. Astrid was straddling Hiccup as he sat back against a pile of pillows on one of their beds. She took her time dragging her hands up his sides and under his shirt, running her thumbs over each of his abs and brushing the tip of his nipples. His breath hitched as she did, she'd discovered that he was particularly sensitive there early on in their sexual relationship. He retaliated by breaking their kiss and lowering his head, nipping at a spot just above her collarbone. She instantly tilted her head back, god she loved it when he kissed her there, the slight pain of his teeth adding to her pleasure and he lifted off her singlet before letting his own hands gently glide down stomach and trace a path over her thighs until his palms were resting on her backside. He squeezed, kneading the flesh there, it didn't feel like anything in particular to Astrid but if he liked it then she didn't care. She was too busy enjoying the feel of his back as she pressed her hands into the firm muscle and pulled him closer to her. Her hips were unconsciously moving in slow circles on top of his lap and she could feel him getting harder. Astrid dropped her head onto Hiccups shoulder, biting him gently as he continued his path down her torso, but before he got too far and she lost all coherent thought, she gently cupped his chin and lifted his face so as she could look at him.<p>

"Uh-uh. You always get to go down on me. My turn." Hiccup looked disappointed at first, then excitedly nervous as she reached down and under the waistband of his short. His first instinct was to tell her that it was okay, to say that he liked going down on her, but she seemed determined and he knew how hard it was to change her mind. And who was he to argue with her? He inhaled sharply through his nose as her fingers closed around his penis and she ran her thumb over the tip, just like the first time. She was kissing him again as her other hand worked off his shorts and underwear, leaving him only in his shirt and he was briefly embarrassed about what was about to happen. Then Astrids lips closed over his penis and he lost himself to the sensation, leaning back and closing his eyes in pleasure. She licked slowly up the underside of his shaft and he shivered, all of this new to him. Then when she started moving her tongue in circles as she sucked gently, he almost lost it there and then.

"Holy shit." He gasped, but she wasn't done. Agonisingly slowly, she started moving her head up and down, taking him in slightly further each time until he could feel the back of her throat, she coughed a little when he twitched and he felt a little pain as her teeth knocked against his shaft. "Sorry." He said instantly, but she ignored him, continuing with what she was doing. Hiccup lost track of everything as she moved her head and used her hand at the same time to pleasure him, he felt for sure he was going to finish before her though, and that just didn't seem fair. As she released him from her mouth he moved quickly and and found her clit, rubbing it rapidly as she arched above his fingers.

"Not fair." She moaned, but he didn't stop, wrapping his other hand around the back of her neck and pulling her in for another kiss. Between the kissing and his fingers, she found herself coming close to finishing very quickly, and it showed, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps between kisses. And thanks to her oral skills Hiccup was close too. Astrid reached down into the suitcase underneath the bed and pulled a condom out of the box that was in there, she opened it and Hiccup worked it on before flipping her over so he was now on top. Astrid was still lying on her stomach, but she tilted her head to kiss him as he gently slid into her, the position and the accompanying pleasure a welcome change to what she was used to. They were both close already so it wasn't long before Hiccups felt Astrid tighten around him and his own movements became erratic as they orgasmed together, gasping but trying to keep their moans low.

"I love you." Hiccup muttered as waves of pleasure washed over him. "I love you so much."

When she looked back on it, Astrid would think it was a little silly, each of them telling the other that they loved them while in the middle of an orgasm, but for now she was too busy experiencing all sorts of pleasure to care.

"I love you too. I love you and I'm so proud of you." She whispered back.

* * *

><p>They showered afterwards, and they still had an hour before they were supposed to meet Gobber, so they passed the time huddled together on the bed, Astrid resting her head on Hiccups chest while Hiccup played with her hair.<p>

"Did you mean what you said before?" She asked quietly, and Hiccup stopped twirling her hair around his finger as he answered.

"What did I say?"

"…that you loved me." Astrid held her breath, suddenly fearing that he might have said it in the heat of the moment.

"Of course I meant it. I wouldn't have said it otherwise." Hiccup replied, and she was able to breathe again. "I owe you so much. I can't put it all into words, but I do love you."

"Anyone else would think we were too young to be saying this sort of stuff." This time Hiccup tilted her chin so as she was looking up at him.

"I don't care. I'm not anyone else. I mean it. Did you mean it back?"

"Yes." Astrid said instantly. "I did. I told you at Christmas that I was worried I was going to lose you after your crash, but I left out the part where I sat beside you when you were unconscious and realised that I really needed you in my life."

"I'm not going anywhere. And now that I'm with you on the team, you're going to have to put up with me when we go to the Worlds, when we go to the Olympics, when I'm in charge of the Academy and I'm your boss…"

"You've still got ego problems."

* * *

><p>They were waiting for Gobber in the hall at three o'clock, as promised.<p>

"You two all packed?" He asked as he locked his own door, and they nodded.

"Didn't do anything that might leave a bad impression while I was gone?" They shook their heads, not looking him in the eye. "Good." He said, he was checking his pockets so he missed the conspiratorial glance that they shared. "Let's go home."

They saw Joe and Will on the way to reception, grabbing a bite to eat before their own flights out, and Hiccup wished them both good luck with everything. They'd see Joe in another few months anyway, when they received one of those invites Astrid had talked about. Then they were in the taxi and heading to the airport, ready for their flight. All of them slept on the flight back, the excitement of the past few days catching up to them, and suddenly they were walking off the plane and just like last time, Valka and Stoick and Brandt and Emma were waiting for them, Jack held in his mothers arms and laughing excitedly, glad to see his sister again. Hiccup embraced his parents and they looked like the proudest mother and father in the world when he told them he'd made the team. Brandt shook his hand and Emma gave him a congratulatory hug, before they all made their separate ways home.


	52. epilogue

Henry Haddock, known to his friends and family as Hiccup, sat back and yawned, stretching out in his chair. Rubbing his eyes tiredly he leaned forward again, attempting to focus on the scholarship application that had landed on his desk earlier in the day. It was quite impressive, whoever it was had a good track record, with some notable times and achievements in athletics. But all of this was lost in Hiccup as his mind wandered again. All he wanted to do was get up and go home to Astrid and-

"Daddy!" He looked over his shoulder to see his son running towards him as fast as he could on his 5 year old legs.

"Hey there champ." Hiccup swivelled his chair and bent over to pick up his son as he reached him, lifting him into his lap and spinning around.

"Christian, let your father finish his work." Astrid stood in the doorway, their daughter perched on her hip as the two of them watched Christian laugh happily. Walking further into the room she leaned forward and gave her husband a kiss before Maddi made a grabbing motion and Astrid handed her over to Hiccup.

"I always said you were a natural with kids." Astrid laughed as she watched Hiccup struggle with Christian in his left arm and Maddi in his right.

"Help me out here?" Hiccup pleaded, and Astrid stepped forward and gently tugged on Christian's hand. The boy hopped off his father's lap and stood next to his mother, bouncing on his toes.

"Come _on _dad. Uncle Scott is having a party and Uncle Fred and Aunty Rachael are going to be there too." The boy whined. Hiccup looked at the paper on his desk, then at his family, then back to the paper.

_It's not going anywhere. _He thought to himself, and he stood up, still holding Maddi. Christian took off, out the door and heading for the car faster than any of them could blink. Maddi couldn't care less as she rested her head on her father's shoulder and sucked her thumb, Astrid walking beside them both.

"You're going to work yourself to death one day." She said casually as a loud bark came from the back seat of the car. Toothless was almost as eager as Christian to get to the party. Parties always meant lots of leftovers for him.

"Hey if I can come third at the World Championships, I'm pretty sure I can manage some late hours."

"Yes, but as the overall manager of the academy, couldn't you delegate some of the work to someone else too?" Astrid had always admired Hiccup's work ethic, but he wasn't twenty-two years old anymore.

"Maybe I will. There's a few new assistants starting with us soon, oh and I think one of them is studying to be a physiotherapist. I might put you as her supervisor. If that's allright with you of course."

"You're the boss." Astrid said as she got into the car.

"Yes but you're the super mum slash second best 800 metre runner in the world slash the academy physio slash my awesome wife. I like to check in with these things."

"I'll keep an eye on her." Astrid promised, as Hiccup buckled Maddi into her childrens seat before shutting the door and getting into the car. "Are you sure you don't want me to drive?"

"I'm fine." Hiccup insisted. It had been a bit of a struggle to get his regular licence approved again after his accident, but he was still a very competent driver and even more than a decade after his accident, Astrid still worried a bit.

_"Let's go dad." _Christian piped up from the back seat again and Toothless supported this notion with a bark.

"Allright allright. We're going." Hiccup said. "He's almost as bad as Gobber."

"No-one is as bad as Gobber." Astrid laughed. "How's he doing by the way?"

"Oh he's finding retirement rather boring. He said he might consider going for the Masters Games next year. And he says hello too."

"He never could sit still."

"Remind me who's coming to this get-together again?" Hiccup asked, eyes on the road.

"Everyone. Literally everyone. Scott and Heather are hosting it, but your parents and mine are going, Jack's going to be there. Ruff and Fish too. How they got married I'll never know. Tuff's coming."

"I knew it was a bad idea to get everyone front row seats at the Worlds that year. Did you ever, _ever, _predict Heather to go for Scott?"

"Nope." Astrid replied simply. "But then again, I didn't think I'd fall for you either."

"Everybody loves me." Hiccup grinned.

"Yeah. We do for some strange reason."

_"I'm hungry dad. Come on!"_

* * *

><p><strong>And that's it. That's all I got for you guys. Oh I'm sure there's questions, like how did Ruff and Fish end up together, and how the hell did Scott marry Heather? But I have my reasons. And plot ideas. I understand if some of you are confused or wondering about Hiccup and Astrids future athletic careers, their jobs, kids, etc, but that's not what this story was about. I chose to end it here because it felt right. Anything that happens afterwards may be a sequel if enough of you want it. If not, that's cool too, it doesn't really bother me. This is the biggest fic I've ever done. Actually it's only the second fic I've ever done. But we're getting off topic. My thanks to all of you who read, reviewed and enjoyed what I wrote, and I hope that this story managed to help you pass some time. I know my writing isn't up to the standard of people like foxy's girl (my god she's a brilliant writer), but I'm still proud of what I wrote over the past six weeks. Once again, thanks for sticking around, and I hope you enjoyed this story in some way. <strong>


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